The Pont Briwet improvement scheme is an innovative, award-winning project that involved the replacement of the 1860s, Grade II listed timber bridge that crosses the river Dwyryd and took over two years to construct.
As a member of the design team, we provided all highways and drainage civil engineering design of the approach roads to the bridge, including adjacent junction improvements and cyclist improvements. The scheme has brought improved transport links for heavier vehicles on a new structure that will be less prone to flooding, less road congestion with a two-way carriageway, a better performing railway with a renewed track, as well as more alternative transport options for the community and tourists with a new cycle path and footpath.
The Pont Briwet improvement scheme won the Innovation Awards at ICE Wales Cymru Awards 2016.
Benefits of the scheme were:
- Free transport links as toll charges will be waived by Network Rail
- Less road congestion with a two way carriageway
- Better transport links for heavier vehicles, i.e. ambulances, coaches or lorries, which now detour 8 miles through the village of Maentwrog
- More alternative transport options for the community and tourists with a new cycle path and footpath that link with the National Coastal Path and Welsh National Cycle Route 8
- A better performing railway as the renewed track will provide an increased line speed of 40mph
- A more reliable and robust transport link on a new structure that will be less prone to flooding and designed to last for at least another century
