A joint venture on behalf of National Highways between AmeySRM received ‘Project of the Year Award’ (over £5M) and were also Highly Commended for ‘Best Practice’ for the A533 project.

The A533 Expressway Bridge Replacement scheme is a testament to our team's commitment to innovative design and meticulously planned construction methodologies. By relentlessly focusing on cost, carbon, and programme reduction initiatives, AmeySRM successfully delivered National Highways’ vision of a safe, speedy, and cost-effective replacement for one of the country’s most vulnerable bridges.

Our primary objective was to safely replace the temporary propped A533 Expressway Bridge crossing the M56. This project ensured an increased lifespan of 120 years for the bridge. Safety improvements included reinstating the hard shoulder on the M56, providing a crucial safety refuge, and reducing risks to motorists.

The project was delivered with a keen focus on programme efficiency, ensuring a suitable alternative was in place promptly while minimising costs. Despite the complexity of the task, the scheme was completed with no lost time incidents over 356,699 hours of work. The team managed to maintain essential links across the structure for the local community, minimising disruption to social, leisure, and public transport activities.

A sophisticated traffic management scheme allowed for simultaneous work on abutments, the central pier, and the offline bridge deck. The use of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) for bridge deck placement maximised work fronts and minimised overall programme disruption. Detailed engineering, including a geometry swept path analysis, ensured the safe movement of the 1,140t bridge deck.

Throughout the scheme, sustainability was a priority. Construction materials were reused effectively, and nearly 100% of the demolished bridge was recycled and repurposed locally. The new vehicle restraint barrier was re-rolled and re-galvanised from existing systems, significantly reducing the project's carbon footprint.

Congratulations to everyone involved in delivering the A533 project.

A533 Expressway bridge reaches key milestone