Guided walk homes in on wild and engineering excellence

A day of events to celebrate the opening of Rugeley's bypass will kick-off with a walk dedicated to discovering some of the £25 million project's hidden secrets.

The road is a leading example of the way engineering innovation can go hand-in-hand with the needs of wildlife.

The walk, which starts at 10.30am on Saturday September 22, will be led by wildlife experts and specialist engineers.

John Wakefield, Cabinet Member for transport said: "The construction of the bypass has been very sensitive. The site is very close to important wildlife sites and great care has gone into ensuring the road actually benefits flaura and fauna.

"We are also very proud that engineering innovation has led to the project finishing ahead of schedule and at below the original cost in real-terms.

"The bypass will be a wonderful asset to the town and should considerably boost its economy, but it is important this has not been done at the expense of wildlife."

The walk will take about 90 minutes and cover a distance of around two miles. Wildlife and engineering features will be outlined along the route.

Measures to protect wildlife include:

construction of an artificial badger sett
installation of badger-proof fencing and construction of badger tunnels - this keep animals off the road and gives them safe passage underneath
bridge design to ensure otters and other animals have unhindered use of the River Trent
live fish and amphibians were moved from ponds close to the construction site and rehomed nearby
native wild flowers sown along road banks
old trees protected by design changes
great care was also taken throughout to check for the presence of newts, bats and nesting birds

A number of engineering marvels will also be highlighted along the walk. This includes award winning work that saw two 5,500 tonne rail bridges constructed alongside the railway embankment, and then "launched" into position along hi-tech Teflon guide rails. This helped dramatically reduce construction costs, saved considerable time and minimised the need to close the railway link that feeds Rugeley Power Station.

Other features include the graceful flood arches which have been designed to ensure construction in an area prone to floods does not increase the risk to nearby homes and businesses. This is another feature that helps wildlife.

The walk is free of charge and refreshments will be provided along the route. Meet at the bypass offices opposite the power station entrance.

Page Last Modified: 11/09/2007 14:57:16

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