Kingsway Tunnel Maintenance
Concrete repairs and painting works
CLIENT
Merseytravel
LOCATION
Liverpool to Wallasey
VALUE
£833k
FORM OF CONTRACT
NEC3 Option B
Overview
The Kingsway Tunnel is a toll road under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The 1.5 mile tunnel carries the A59. EWCE were contracted by Merseytravel to complete concrete repairs and painting works to the Kingsway covered approach and sixteen 1930s structures.
The contract comprised:
- Package 1 – Overbridges including steel preparation and painting to Breck Road Bridge
- Package 2 – Sewer subway repairs
- Package 3 and 4 – Sun visor covered approaches including concrete repairs and anti-carbonation coating
- Traffic and pedestrian management
The works included:
- Provision of adequate traffic management to enable safe working access to all locations
- Over 100 concrete repairs in multiple areas across 16 structures
- Removal of defective concrete spalling
- Replace sections of concrete
- Removal of existing anti-carbonation coating and application of new anti-carbonation coating totalling 3,521 sq m
- Multiple steelwork repairs, fabricated and installed galvanised steel structures
- Sewer subway repairs
Key Challenges
- Controlling any arisings as a result of grit blasting and painting works
- Pollution control measures of noise and dust
- Working in confined spaces
- Night working under tunnel lane closures – 9.00 pm to 6.00 am
- Ensuring the works were completed on time to mitigate any delays to reopening the tunnel each morning
- Extending traffic management limits to encompass works on multiple structures incrementally to save time. This was achievable as closures were extended to the toll booths to control traffic over 1.2 km
- Working closely with the client to provide advice on alternative coatings to enable winter working and poor weather conditions to prevent any weather delay
Delivery of works in multiple locations, working around live and operational traffic – around 90,000 vehicles drive through the Mersey Tunnels on an average day. A combination of night time closures and day time traffic management was utilised to minimise disruption.
Added Value
- Completing emergency repairs to loose concrete on vents shaft whilst we delivered the main package of works
- Re-sequencing the programme to allow trades to work concurrently to reduce the programme by 10 weeks
- Working seamlessly with Mersey Tunnels Police to coordinate our works with their existing tunnel closures and control traffic
- Apprentice Engineer employed under a 12-Week placement. He has since been employed by EWCE as a Junior Site Engineer
- Spent grit was captured using a ‘blast and vac’ system. This enabled the works to be undertaken using a scissor lift and removed the need for the use of expensive scaffolding and encapsulation and ultimately any permanent road closures
Client Feedback
“EWCE have shown they are an excellent contractor to work with, who have a can do attitude. I would indeed recommend EWCE to colleagues.”
Tom Ellis
Senior Officer Civils, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Get in Touch
For all enquiries, please get in touch with the team here at Eric Wright.