Skilled work over the past months to install bridge beams to construct two viaducts as part of the Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass has now been completed as the major scheme is on schedule to open next year.
A time lapse video of the River Seiont viaduct has been released which shows how the work was carried out by the Balfour Beatty Jones Bros Joint Venture delivering the £135m bypass which is one of the largest infrastructure projects underway in North Wales.
The 9.8km bypass will run from the Goat roundabout on the A499/A487 junction to the Plas Menai roundabout around Llanwnda, Dinas, Bontnewydd and Caernarfon.
It is on schedule to open in early 2022.
The scheme will deliver improved travel times, reduce congestion and improve air quality on local roads, and lead to more opportunities for active travel.
Another key milestone has been reached as surfacing work is now beginning on the bypass near the Cibyn Industrial Estate in Caernarfon.
The site team from Balfour Beatty and Jones Bros have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with strict control measures in place to protect the workforce
Minister for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “The Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass is a major infrastructure project in North Wales and it’s great to see how the work is progressing well.
“Great skill is needed in the placing of the bridge beams and this is clear from the newly released time lapse video which shows how this feat of engineering was achieved.
“The new route will make a real difference to the local communities in and around Bontnewydd once complete, by improving air quality and removing congestion. I’m pleased to see the excellent progress on this major scheme and the benefits it has delivered to the local economy.”
Jon Muff, structures lead for the Balfour Beatty Jones Bros Civil Engineering Joint Venture, said: “The delivery and installation of the steel bridge beams for both bridges required considerable coordination and skill from all involved.
“Lifting the steelwork into place is a major milestone which marks the beginning of the next key phase of the project: casting of the concrete bridge decks.
“It’s exciting to see the scheme continue to take shape, and we look forward to finishing on schedule.”
