A National Highways project team recently welcomed a group of military students to a tour of one of our major schemes as part of an initiative to share experience.
The engineers of the future were given a tour of the new loop road, slip road and major structures and our Highways specialists explained the challenges of keeping traffic flowing whilst upgrading infrastructure on a busy junction.
The Royal Engineers, known as the Sappers, are renowned for their organisational, planning and engineering skills; with no better place to learn than from industry experts working on the M25 project, Junction 28.
National Highways Project Manager, Zachary Pepper said: “It was great to be able to welcome the Royal Engineers to our construction site, which provided the students with valuable visual representation of the complexities of our major road construction project.”
Staff Sergeant, Will Wicker said: “During a recent site visit to the M25 Jct 28/ A12 upgrades I had the opportunity to lead a group of Royal Engineer Military Plant Foreman students as part of their civil engineering bachelor’s degree program. The visit was the culmination of their roads phase, providing them with a tangible connection between classroom theory and real-world application. The site visit provided valuable insights into the complexities of major road construction projects.
“The students were able to observe firsthand the various phases of construction, including the minimal traffic management the site required, earthworks and bridge construction. The experience offered them a practical perspective on the engineering challenges and solutions involved in large scale projects like this one. I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Grahams and National Highways for their hospitality and for providing our students with this invaluable learning opportunity. The insights gained during the visit undoubtedly enhanced their understanding and appreciation of civil engineering in practice.”
GRAHAM Project Manager Hugh McNally said: “We were delighted to welcome the engineers to the scheme. Seeing construction work up close and personal can be a real eye-opener, hopefully this visit has helped bridge the gap between theory and practical application”.
The project will bring improved traffic flow and support proposed economic growth in the area. With most of the construction, including four bridges, being done off the road network, disruption for the travelling public is minimised as much as possible.
