Balfour Beatty is constructing a new bridge in Ebbsfleet Garden City to improve connectivity and reduce journey times from Springhead Park Residential area to the future City Centre and Ebbsfleet International station. The 87-metre long bridge provides two lane vehicle access, pedestrian footpaths and a cycle path. When completed in Spring 2020, the bridge will reduce pedestrian journey times to the station from 20 minutes to around seven minutes, as well as alleviate congestion and reduce journey times for motorists across the borough.
The bridge spans over Ebbsfleet river where there is an abundance of wildlife, including mallards, coots, and butterflies. To prevent damage to the ecosystem and ensure disruption to wildlife is minimised we’ve employed an ecologist to work alongside the project team. With the use of vegetated embankments and gabion baskets we’ve blended the new structure in to the environment seamlessly. Work has been programmed to avoid impact on the bird nesting season and prior to construction, a special barrier was installed to prevent reptiles and amphibians from entering the site.
The project, awarded by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC), via the Scape National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework forms part of a development plan to create a 21st century Garden City in North Kent.
The bridge provides a key link from the residential developments in the East of this new city to the future City Centre and the existing rail station, allowing safe vehicle, cyclist, pedestrian and Fastrack (bus) movements. The route orientation, ecological and archaeological considerations required a collaborative approach with multiple approving authorities and stakeholders.
The land the bridge is being built on has been provided by the developer, Countryside Properties, and Ebbsfleet Investment GP Limited (EIGP). To facilitate the smooth delivery of the project and aid collaboration, EDC commissioned a bespoke Collaboration Agreement that both parties signed.
The Scape framework simplified the procurement process for EDC and provided them early access to the civil engineering expertise that Balfour Beatty provides. Other benefits include:
- Reducing risk through collaborative workshops
- One team approach, shaping project requirements within budget and programme through joint understanding of outcomes
- Delivering efficiencies and knowledge transfer across project lifecycle and programme
- Confidence to funding authorities: delivery partner engaged early, confirming suitability of funding
- Open book approach stimulating collaborative ethos for best value.
The project team is a mix of experienced and developing professionals that creates an environment for learning in a practical setting, where knowledge sharing, development and innovation flourish. Project leadership and key team members have remained unchanged, ensuring stability and new members are seamlessly integrated. As designers, PBA remain involved, providing technical advice and guidance.
Throughout the project we will work closely with the local community. To date we have created work placements, engaged with students from local schools, colleges and universities and donated topsoil to a local charity to support the creation of a new community garden.
Key achievements
- Once complete, new residents of Springhead Park will only have a seven-minute walk to Ebbsfleet International, encouraging more active and sustainable transport, saving 20 minutes on journey times, unnecessary car journeys and reducing traffic volumes on busy local routes.
- The project has diverted approximately 8,000m3 of non-hazardous soft material with a high natural organic content from landfill by sending it to a local land restoration site. All under-road construction material for the embankment construction is approved recycled crushed concrete, reducing depletion of natural resources.
- Exemplar health and safety record of the project and framework, over 126,000 hours worked on Springhead Bridge site incident-free.
