A major milestone has been reached in the M42 junction 6 improvement scheme, which is set to transform the landscape and travel network around Solihull and Birmingham. The works, which recently saw two new bridges installed over the M42, will create a new junction at Birmingham Airport and the A45.
And as the works progress, National Highways have marked a huge milestone. It says that since work started, none of their 250-strong workforce have taken time off due to injury, reports Birmingham Live.
They also confirmed that more than 500,000 work hours have been clocked up on the project. Around 1800 people in total have worked on the £282m million transformation of the junction which will see a new junction (5a) on the M42 motorway, approximately 1.8km south of the existing M42 Junction 6 (Solihull).
A new bridge above the A45 is also being built providing cyclists and walkers with a safer route to cross the busy route. Praising the team working on the project, National Highways programme leader, Jon Slemmonds said: “Safety is always the number one priority for National Highways, we think nobody should be harmed while travelling or working on our roads and do all we can to try to make that happen.
“For our contractors, Skanska, to record over half a million working hours without injury is a fantastic achievement. We are pleased that the stringent safety measures put in place on site are paying dividends and I’m confident that it will continue to do so.”
Contractor Skanska is carrying out the work for National Highways. Skanska’s head of health, safety and wellbeing for Highways, Liz Brathwaite, said: “Fostering a culture of care and concern for others is at the very heart of our business. This is complemented by the most rigorous application of best practice health and safety processes and procedures.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that everyone who works with and for us returns home safely and healthy at the end of the working day. This achievement is testament to everyone on the project who has made health, safety and wellbeing the priority not just for themselves, but also for their colleagues and those we work with.”
The £282 million upgrade to the M42 and Birmingham Airport/A45 junction is a major improvements scheme designed to improve accessibility and safety. The scheme is also designed to allow smoother journeys on and off the A45 by building an entirely new junction 5a, said the Birmingham Live report.l
It’s intended to improve vehicle access to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station, while also ‘preparing capacity for the new HS2 station. The scheme also saw two new bridges isntalled across the M42 weighing a total of 2,050 tonnes.
