This project involved the construction of a new junction on the M49 in Avonmouth.
The junction was designed to unlock the economic potential of the Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area, an important regional employment site that was previously the largest brownfield site in Western Europe.
The design featured a two-bridge junction, using an existing bridge at Farm Lane with a second bridge built immediately next to it. The two bridges were incorporated into a single roundabout spanning the motorway beneath. New access and exit slip roads were built on both sides of the motorway junction to connect it fully with both northbound and southbound traffic.
Space on this junction was limited so an innovative Green Terramesh system was used to build the embankment structure with less gradient and steeper faces, providing a BBA HAPAS certified 120 year design life. Designed by Maccaferri, this was the first time the system had been used on such a large scale in Europe.
Our team constructed embankments for the new interchange, importing material to stabilise and build up the levels. Paragrid geomembrane was inserted at 500mm intervals to provide strength and to give the height required, and we also installed deep drainage, large culverts, and pipes underneath the existing motorway.
