Crewe Green Roundabout

Project value: £4.8m

Sector: Infrastructure

Spend with SMEs: £2m

Local spend: 93%

Young people involved in educational activities: 1,500

Waste diverted from landfill: 100%

Tackling a significant transport bottleneck, this project will enable further growth at key employment sites whilst strengthening Crewe’s valuable contribution to the whole of the Northern Powerhouse region.

Councillor Don Stockton

Cheshire East Cabinet Member

A crucial scheme to improve traffic flow, access and connectivity in one of Crewe’s most congested areas.

The award-winning Crewe Green Roundabout scheme has greatly improved access to strategic employment sites for Cheshire East Council (CEC), which has been delivered by Balfour Beatty via our Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework.

It has future-proofed the local transport network ahead of the new HS2 Hub. The upgrades support CEC’s long-term growth strategy by alleviating heavy congestion and improving accessibility at a key gateway, making the surrounding areas more attractive to live and work in.

The roundabout was upgraded to a six-arm, higher capacity gyratory – more complex than a standard roundabout - to increase entry capacity, improve visibility for motorists and reduce vehicle speed on approach.

The work has improved traffic flow, creating faster, less stressful journeys for residents and increased employment opportunities as businesses can access local skills and talent more easily. 94% of the project spend (equating to roughly £2m) was through the local supply chain, keeping the pound in Crewe and leaving a legacy for future generations through training and hands-on experience.

For the council, the works have engendered trust with its residents and helped prepare their infrastructure for the arrival of HS2. It has provided the Department for Transport (DfT) and central government with confidence that the Local Growth Fund, for which this was awarded, is being used efficiently.

Local engagement on a live site
Infrastructure upgrades can be a source of frustration for commuters, however through engagement initiatives, their thoughts were welcomed before the project began and we kept them informed throughout construction by sharing regular newsletters, diversion updates and aerial footage.

Utilities diversions delays
To keep the schedule on track, we made substantial modifications to our programme of work, phasing tasks so the teams worked around each other efficiently and no time was lost.

Existing infrastructure
Inspection chambers, drains and manhole covers left from the junction that had preceded the roundabout were discovered.

With historic drawings not available and preliminary geotechnical investigation not feasible due to the live environment, this was unexpected but the team adapted the approach and overcame the challenge with creative thinking.

Cheshire East Council were delighted with the speed and quality of the project, which also received positive feedback from residents and the local community, including a live on air thank you on Radio Stoke from one delighted commuter.

Through collaboration with CEC at an early stage, we were able to identify and implement a range of cost-savings through a value engineering exercise, including £45,000 saved by re-using project materials.

1,534 young people aged between 7-25 were engaged through an outreach programme with local schools and colleges consisting of site visits, work placements and practical workshops. These enabled the students to experience a live construction site and encouraged them to consider a career in the industry.

“A brilliant experience which has provided me with the necessary skills and knowledge to progress in my future career within the construction industry.” Christian Garner, a pupil at Cheshire South West College

Five graduates, interns and apprentices were employed, with 93% of the workforce living in the local area. 120 local people who had been long-term unemployed were also engaged with during the project, helping to increase their employability through skills and training.

Since completion, CEC have selected the SCAPE and Balfour Beatty team to complete several more projects to improve the local infrastructure and we are proud to be continuing our strong working relationship together.

For many people in the region, transport is a key issue and as the town prepares itself for the arrival of HS2, the Crewe Green Roundabout improvements are very important to enable businesses to reach markets and access skills and talent, while allowing our residents to reach jobs, education, shops and services."

Pete Waterman

Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington LEP's transport body

93%

Local spend

1,500

Young people involved in educational activities

100%

Waste diverted from landfill