Building A Bridge Link For Springhead Park
Bridging the connectivity gap at Ebbsfleet Garden City
PROJECT STORY
The challenge
Springhead Park forms part of Kent's first 'garden city'. But with the Ebbsfleet river running through the site, it was hard for residents to reach the town centre and train station.
The solution
We helped to deliver a new 87-metre long bridge spanning the river to help radically reduce journey times.
The impact
The award-winning bridge provides two-lane vehicle access, along with safe pedestrian and cycle paths. It will save 20 minutes on journey times, as well as cut unnecessary car journeys.
20 minutes
saved on journey times
150,000 hours
worked on site incident free
28,000m3
of non-hazardous soft material diverted from landfill
The challenge
Springhead Park will be a brand new community in Ebbsfleet; Britain's first new 'garden city' in almost a century. But for local people, there was just one problem. The River Ebbsfleet was acting as a barrier separating the new homes from the nearby train station and future town centre. It meant that residents faced long journeys or had to rely on their car to be able to access key local facilities. They were desperate for better access links.
The solution
The location already boasts enviable infrastructure, with the nearby Ebbsfleet International station offering a high-speed line (HS1) into London St Pancras and to the rest of Europe. However, there was a pressing need to enhance these links and improve connectivity for people living on the other side of the river, in the new Springhead Park residential area. Ebbsfleet Development Corporation knew it needed to do something, and so the idea for the new Springhead Bridge was born.
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Arcadis worked on the project for the full four years, providing programme management, contracts and procurement support, cost planning and specialist technical advisory services.
Our role began by helping the client refine the business case for the project, securing approval and £20 million funding to proceed. We led a value engineering exercise which resulted in significant commercial savings of £4 million, thereby ensuring we could bring the project within the budgeted scope.
Instrumental to unlocking a route to delivery was Arcadis’ advice in the formation of a Collaboration Agreement between all landowners. This meant the land could be transferred to Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, allowing for an early start on enabling works and meaning that the project could proceed quickly and meet the desired timeline.
During the contracting phase, we led the creation of all the contract documents for the client. This included undertaking a risk analysis, which led to the procurement of principal contractor Balfour Beatty through the Scape framework.
The route orientation, ecological and archaeological considerations all required a collaborative approach with multiple approving authorities and stakeholders.
The project has also diverted approximately 28,000m3 of non-hazardous soft material from landfill, sending it to a local land restoration site instead. All under-road construction material for the embankment comes from approved recycled crushed concrete, which has helped to reduce the depletion of natural resources.
The impact
Better access and connectivity for all
We're proud that the project went on to win Civils Project of the Year at the 2020 SECBE Awards. Its dedicated walking and cycle lanes offer safe access and mean that Springhead Park residents can reach Ebbsfleet International train station in minutes. The previous half-an-hour car journey has been reduced to little more than a 7-minute walk, bringing multiple benefits to both people and planet. Not only does it encourage more sustainable travel, it also means local people can save on parking fees, feel more connected with their local community and get home quicker at the end of a busy day.
