News

M23 smart motorway surfacing

Through a number of evening and weekend closures and successful collaborative arrangements, Aggregate Industries completed the surfacing works ahead of schedule on the M23 smart motorway project, laying 52,000 tonnes of asphalt in one month.

The works included widening of the carriageway to achieve the all lane running requirement, full depth reconstruction of the hard shoulder, central reserve works and collaborative completion of junctions 9,10 and lane four surfacing to enable the road to open for traffic. With Aggregate Industries’ Contracting Division acting as the lead surfacing partner, the materials for the project were supplied by its Asphalt and Aggregates Divisions, and delivered by its Logistics Team.

The company also took responsibility for recycling 100% of the old waste material from the pre-existing road utilising a local recycling facility that crushed and screened it for use in the new asphalt. A proportion of the material will also be used, where possible, in Aggregate Industries’ larger asphalt plants within its materials. As a result of the close proximity of the recycling facility, less haulage was required reducing the project’s carbon emissions.

Faced with an immense tonnage of asphalt to lay in an extremely tight deadline, Tarmac were enlisted to act as a second surfacing partner, drawing upon a long standing relationship with Aggregate Industries through the Highways England Category Management Pavement Framework. The collaboration between all parties; similarities in systems of working; and the ability to share resources, drove efficiencies that resulted in achieving 52,000 tonnes laid in one month, completing the pavement works by the end of March, six months ahead of the initial forecasted completion date.

In addition to the logistical, technical and time requirements for the project, the team also had to quickly adapt to a new working environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Undeterred, the team planned out stringent working arrangements with all parties involved to make sure that the project was finished in accordance with social distancing guidelines.  

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