Professional organisation meetings for April

[darkcape]

- a favourite venue of ICE East Midlands, where it held its annual AGM, and many other technical lectures was the (Best Western) Yew Lodge Hotel in Kegworth, in Leicestershire. I can't see ICE East Midlands hosting too many AGMs or technical lectures at that hotel in the near future. It's been busy these past few weeks. Hope those asylum seekers give it a good write up on TripAdvisor?

No reason why the conference facilities can't be used even if the rooms are busy? I think it was the AGM & professional review workshops mostly based there, all the upcoming in-person events are at the various universities in the region

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Some meetings for May,

17th,
M621 Junctions 1-7 Improvement,
A presentation by CIHT Yorkshire & the Humber
about the M621 improvements
Speaker is Chris Musgrave of National Highways,
WSP offices, Wellington St, Leeds 17.00
See here

23rd,
Off-topic
Hinkley Point C tour
I think the site is the largest construction project in Europe?
It costs £10. A high security tour, so a valid passport and driving licence is required.
Organised by IStructE Western Counties
HPC Cannington Park and Ride, 9.15am
See here

25th,
M2 J5/A249 improvement scheme,
Organised by CIHT South East,
about the M2 improvements at Stockbury interchange
If not a CIHT member, it is £16.50
Speakers are from Graham Construction
Pembroke 130, University of Greenwich Medway Campus, 18.30
See here

30th,
North West Regional Operations Centre tour,
Organised by CIHT North West,
Have a discussion about all those fantastic smart motorways, and how things are going.
The NW Regional Control Centre is about a mile south of M6 J23 (East Lancashire Road), on the southbound M6, on a motorway service site that never began construction,
North West Regional Operations Centre, Rob Lane, Newton-le-Willows 17.30
See here

Another Hinkley Point visit,
13.30
See here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Meetings, of a professional nature for June 2023,

7th,
East Midlands site visit: Grantham southern relief road,
The viaduct piers have been erected.
The ICE web page claims that the viaduct is over the West Coast Main Line.
PPE will be provided, organised by ICE Early Careers Network East Midlands.
Meet Alex Romankiw of Galliford Try, who are the contractors.
Tollemache Road North, Grantham 12.30pm
See here



21st,
Visit to HS2 construction site of the new Wendover Green tunnel & Wendover Dean viaduct works,
Off-topic, but more controversial
Includes the Wendover Dean Viaduct
HS2 is currently giving the lucky Chilterns lots of euphemistic tunnelling love.
Organised by the ICE South East England Retired Members Group, but all ages are free to attend, within reason and health
Rocky Lane Site Office, Dunsmore, south of Wendover 10am
See here



27th,
Tamar Bridge site visit and heritage tour
See here



28th,
A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Construction Site Visit,
The scheme is dualling the three-mile section between Sparkford and Ilchester, from east of Podimore Roundabout, passing north of the Hazlegrove Roundabout. Construction work began October 2021, and is expected to finish in early 2024. There are 35 miles of single carriageway on the A303.
Speakers are Hazel Wilson of National Highways, and Sam Landrigan of Galliford Try. Organised by the CILT South West Region. You have to be part of the CILT, to attend the visit.
Galliford Try Infrastructure site office, Stockwitch Lane 10am
See here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Meetings for July 2023,


3rd,
Site visit: Llandewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross improvements,
PPE required
17.30, A40 LVRC Improvements Project Office, at Parc Y Delyn near Llanddewi Velfrey,
See here



13th,
Visit to HS2 Curzon Street,
Off topic
Organised by ICE West Midlands, 13.00
PPE is required.
See here



17th,
North Hykeham Relief Road
Online, presentation by Jamie Hurst, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty
Organised by ICE East Midlands Lincolnshire branch, 18.30
See here



20th,
Visit to the Regional Transport Coordination Centre,
Run by Transport for West Midlands
Organised by ICE West Midlands, 17.30
See here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Meetings for September 2023,

12th,
A geotechnical tour along the East Leeds Orbital Route
The scheme has cost £126m.
The speaker was John Harrison of Atkins.
18.00, School of Engineering, Theatre A, University of Leeds
See here



20th,
A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross upgrade: unlocking growth, connecting communities,
a talk by representatives of the Costain Jacobs Joint Venture
The scheme is a 8.7 mile long section of dual carriageway, with grade separated junctions at Chiverton, Chybucca and Carland Cross.
Organised by ICE South West
18.00, New County Hall, Truro
See here



Reopening and derationalising the North East’s railways,
Off-topic
18.00, York Priory Street Centre
See here and here

From Little Acorns to Mighty Oaks – HS2 and Old Oak Common Station,
Off-topic, or is it?
Old Oak Common railway station is to be the best-connected and largest new railway station ever built in the UK.
The speaker is Peter Gow, Head of Delivery for HS2 Old Oak Common. Organised by the IMechE.
17.30 at the Rail Standards and Safety Board at The Helicon in central London.
See here

EV Chargers and Energy Management,
Off-topic
Organised by the IMechE
18.30, Safran Landing Systems - Gloucester (former Dowty)
See here

Decarbonising the UK’s gas system,
Off-topic perhaps?
The talk looks at replacing the gas supply chain with biomethane and hydrogen in place of natural gas.
Organised by the IET
See here
18.00, STFC Daresbury, near Warrington, off the M56

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Events for October 2023,

10th,
Visit to Grantham Southern Relief Road,
Organised by the CILT and the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce
With Matt Morrell, project director for Lincolnshire
1pm, Tollemache Road North
See here and here

Geotechnical asset deterioration prediction,
About the Geotechnical and Drainage Management Service (of National Highways), and the ACHILLES project, run by the universities of Newcastle, Loughborough, Durham, Southampton, Bath and Leeds - the decent hard-working non-silly universities, funded by the EPSRC research council; if you want a list of the silly universities ask the NUS
Speaker was Chris Power of Mott McDonald
6pm, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow,
See here



HS2 lime stabilisation innovation,
Off-topic,
17.30, Lecture Theatre 6, Nottingham Trent University (the main building next to the tram at the top of the hill)
The project is done by Balfour Beatty Vinci,
See here



18th,
Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside (CWRR) site visit,
It has a twin leaf cable-stayed swing bridge and connecting roads, built by Graham Construction for Renfrewshire Council,
Bring your own safety footwear, but hard hat, safety glasses, gloves and hi-vis jackets will be provided on site
Public transport is via Yoker railway station
1.30pm at the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside North Site Office on Dock Street in Clydebank
See here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Events for November 2023,

2nd,
The Regent Street flyover project,
The bridge carries the A64(M) over the A61, situated near to BBC Leeds, the Leeds Playhouse Theatre, and NHS England, and the new flyover was completed in November 2022
The project was a joint venture of WSP and Balfour Beatty
Costs £2, main course buffet is £13, and the dessert is £5
10.30am, Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel
Badsworth
Organised with the IMechE
Speakers are Robert Ingall, the Bridges Manager at Leeds City Council, with 22 years of experience, and Dan Barnes of Balfour Beatty
See here here



11th,
Guided engineering walk: Liverpool,
Organised by ICE Merseyside Branch,
11am, opposite Castle Street / James Street junction
See here



16th,
Forth Road Bridge: major maintenance schemes,
Online 6pm
See here



23rd,
‘Bridges wot Brunel built’: a light-hearted look at Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s bridge work,
Organised by ICE Exeter City,
6pm, Lecture Theatre 004, University of Exeter
See here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Professional meetings for February 2024,

28th (Wednesday),
A595 Grizebeck Road Improvement,
About a new 1.4 km single carriageway road between Chapels and Grizebeck on the A595.
The speaker is from Westmorland and Furness Council
Organised by the ICE, IMechE and IET Lancashire and Cumbria
The Forum, near the Holiday Inn Express, in Barrow in Furness, 7pm
See here and here

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Professional meetings for March 2024,

7th (Thursday),
A31 Ringwood Road widening,
About enhancement of the westbound A31 between Ringwood and Verwood junction. It opened in November 2022.
The speakers are from VolkerFitzpatrick, part of the Dutch VolkerWessels.
Portland Building, University of Portsmouth, 5.15pm
See here



13th (Wednesday),
Gillingham Principal Street,
This is a 1.3km road built for Dorset Council, by Heidelberg Materials. Yes, some housing estate spine roads are probably longer.
You will have get up early for this one, and get some breakfast if you can. Or maybe Dorset Council would be kind to provide some?
The speakers are from Dorset Council and Heidelberg.
Shire Hall, Dorchester, 7.30am
See here



20th (Wednesday),
History of the motorway system in Glasgow,
About Glasgow's unfinished inner ring road with recently unearthed records from the Scottish Roads Archive.
Online presentation, 6.15pm
Organised by the ICE.
See here



21st (Thursday),
Tay Road Bridge carriageway works,
Speakers are from WSP and VolkerLaser.
Room 2516, Abertay University, 5pm
See here



A487 New Dyfi Bridge,
About a new 1.2km long single carriageway road near Machynlleth, with a 724m long elevated viaduct over the the Afon Dyfi (River Dyfi, for English speakers)
Construction began in May 2021.
Speakers are from Arup, who designed the bridge
Online, 6.30pm
See here

[Nebula]

Pulling and publishing this list of events at the start of the month would have been more useful for the potential attendees, especially as not all of the events are recorded and accessible.

[DeptForLameExcuses]

Professional-type meetings, mostly served with coffee, and other assortments of food, quite healthy,

3rd,
A465 Heads of the Valleys dualling section 5 and 6: Dowlais to Hirwaun,
11 miles of construction by Future Valleys Construction,
Presented with construction director Mike Cummine,
the concrete open spandrel bridge at Taf Fechan is being widened, and there is a three span balanced cantilever concrete bridge over the Taf Fawr, and three span steel bridge at Nant Hir,
Also learn about the A465 Education Programme,
Online, at 1pm,
See here



17th,
Cross Tay Link Road: site visit,
the new road has a three-span bridge over the River Tay, and links the A9 and the A93 to Blairgowrie and the A94, just north of Scone,
A coach will leave Ingliston Park and Ride in Edinburgh at 14:00 to journey to the BAM site offices, being guided round the site by Innes Mackintosh,
Dress suitably and bring some boots, other PPE provided,
Organised by ICE Edinburgh Early Careers Network,
See here



24th,
Green Hydrogen and Storage,
Off-topic,
The Danish lead the world in off-shore wind power,
Listen to the Danish inventor Henrik Stiesdal, he is Mr Wind Power,
Organised by the IMechE South Essex,
MAB 221, Michael Ashcroft Building, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, 7pm
See here