On 17 March the Economy, Science and Transport Minister, Edwina Hart, officially launched the start of building work on the new £57.3 million Eastern Bay Link Road in Cardiff being completed by a Ferrovial Agroman joint venture.
Once complete the new dual carriageway will provide a more direct route between the east of the city (Roverway) and Cardiff Bay (A4232 Butetown Tunnel), with the added benefit of alleviating congestion around Tyndall Street by removing traffic which currently uses the Ocean Way to Central Link via Tyndall Street route.
Preparatory work to build the new Eastern Bay Link Road is already underway and it is anticipated the new road will be completed by spring 2017.
“Improving infrastructure and transport links, reducing journey times and supporting jobs growth across Wales has been a long term commitment for this government and this major project announcement is another example of how we are delivering on those promises”
“In addition to creating jobs and apprenticeship opportunities during the construction stages of the project, once open the Eastern Bay Link Road will provide wider economic growth opportunities by improving access to the Central Cardiff Enterprise Zone and enhance connectivity across the wider city region”
“Commuters traveling between the east of Cardiff and the Bay will also benefit from reduced journey times and a shorter route, while residents in the area of Tyndall Street should see reduced traffic and disruption in their neighbourhood”
The new dual carriageway, which is being delivered by a Ferrovial Agroman Joint Venture with Dawnus, will also incorporate a footway and cycle route along its length to encourage more walking and cycling opportunities.
“Although this project is not without challenge in terms of ground conditions, unidentified services, and a new environment, we have already established excellent relationships with our client, JV partner and stakeholders during the KS3 and enabling works including utilities diversions and two access roads and are therefore looking forward to a successful delivery”
Around 100 new jobs and 10 apprenticeship opportunities are expected to be created during the construction stages of the project.
The 1km (0.62mile) route will reduce journey time from the east of the city into Cardiff Bay, by redirecting motorists from the existing route along Ocean Way to Central Link via Tyndall Street route.
Ferrovial Agroman is the construction arm and manages major, complex, multidisciplinary design and construction projects around the world, in sectors including rail, highways, tunnels, marine, airports and energy. Ferrovial Agroman has delivered a significant percentage of the Spanish high speed rail network and was recently awarded a section of the new high speed railway in California. The company has operated in the UK and Ireland since 2003. Flagship projects in the UK include the Crossrail, Heathrow Terminal 2A, London Underground’s new Northern Line Extension and the Central Section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel as well as the M8/M73/M74 Motorway Improvement project in Scotland’s Central Belt. Our activities in Ireland include the M3 motorway Clonee-Kells, the DBFO2 in Northern Ireland and the first trans-border motorway in the A1-N1 corridor.
