The A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass has been completed ahead of time and will now open to traffic on Saturday 19 February rather than Friday 18 February in order not to encourage any unnecessary travel during Storm Eunice. |
Construction of the £139m scheme, delivered by the Balfour Beatty Jones Bros Joint Venture, began in 2019 with work continuing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with safeguards in place to protect the workforce.
One of the largest recent infrastructure projects in North Wales, the 9.7km bypass runs from the Goat Roundabout on the A499/A487 to the Plas Menai roundabout. 17 major structures were built as part of the scheme and 99% of the excavated materials were recycled and reused on the bypass. The project also includes improved active travel routes for walking and cycling in the area. The scheme has provided a boost for the local economy with close to £70m spent with Welsh businesses of which £12m was spent on small to medium enterprises. £2m was also spent by the construction workforce in local shops, businesses and services during the construction period. During the construction stage 93 per cent of the workforce came from the North Wales area, with 31 per cent living within a 10-mile radius. 36 graduates and apprentices were employed and trained while 15 people received work experience. An average of 160 people worked on the scheme at any one time during construction. Measures have been put in place to minimise the environmental impact of the scheme to improve and enhance biodiversity in the area, including safe passages for wildlife. 170,000 plants, providing around 14 hectares of new native species, woodlands and scrub, as well as over 20 kilometres of new hedgerows were also planted. Deputy Minister for Climate Change with a responsibility for Transport Lee Waters said:
Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths said:
Minister for Economy Vaughan Gething said:
Jon Muff, Project Lead at Balfour Beatty Jones Bros said:
Gwion Lloyd, a 22-year-old engineering apprentice from Harlech who has been on site since he started in 2019, said:
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