New asphalt plant opens at Godmanchester
Aggregate Industries invest £3.5 million in new asphalt plant for England’s largest road-improvement project
AGGREGATE Industries have opened a new £3.5 million asphalt plant in Godmanchester, dedicated exclusively to supplying England’s largest road project, the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme – which will see 21km of the road upgraded to three lanes in each direction, cutting journey times by up to 20 minutes.
Reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering a highly sustainable and efficient solution to the scheme, Aggregate Industries has invested heavily in the new state-of-the-art facility, which includes a Benninghoven TBA 3000 batching plant capable of producing 240 tonnes/h.
The temporary plant, which took three months to construct, was commissioned by Aggregate Industries to create the materials for the new multi-lane carriageways, after it was announced in May that the company had been contracted to deliver the entire surfacing works by the A14 Integrated Delivery Team (IDT) – a joint venture between Costain, Skanska, Balfour Beatty and designers Atkins/CH2M, working on behalf of Highways England to deliver the £1.5 billion scheme.
Over a 30-month period, the project will involve the supply and installation of 700,000 tonnes of asphalt and 500,000 tonnes of cement-bound granular mixtures (CBGM), which will be used to implement Aggregate Industries’ alternative use of composite pavements instead of cementitious reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP).
Uniquely, the on-site plant is also capable of supplying 50% recycled asphalt and will play a crucial role in minimizing the carbon footprint of the scheme, as fewer vehicle movements will be required.
Creating vital jobs in the local area, the opening of the new plant has also involved the recruitment of a highly skilled team of product, logistics and technical experts, who will be working around the clock to ensure the specification, production and delivery of asphalt meets the project’s needs at all times.
Chris Hudson, managing director of Asphalt and Readymix at Aggregate Industries, said: ‘As sole supplier for England’s largest and most prestigious road-improvement project, our aim on this contract is to collaboratively deliver the works as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, whilst reducing the impact of operations on the local community and the road network.
‘As such, we’ve invested a significant amount of time and resources in setting up our new asphalt plant on the A14. By ensuring a consistent supply of our innovative surfacing materials for the duration of the project, this facility will no doubt play a critical role in helping us to provide the world-class service expected of a market leader.’
