The familiar stretch of the M5 motorway, between Bristol & Clevedon, under construction.
This contract, which commenced in April 1970, was let to Cementation Ltd. for a tender sum £5.7m.
It started at the south abutment of the Avonmouth Bridge and extended to Clapton Wick in the Clevedon Hills.
It included the construction of the elevated roundabout interchange with the A369 at Portbury and the adjacent Service Area. On sidelong ground in the hills the works were mainly in rock cutting in massive limestone. In order to accommodate the sidelong ground the two carriageways were constructed at separate levels which varied up to 30 feet. In order to support the lower northbound carriageway a crib wall comprised of interlocking precast concrete units infilled with rock was built and to support the higher carriageway a reinforced concrete retaining wall, tied back with rock anchors, was used.
To cross over two adjacent valleys at Wynol Farm twin parallel prestressed viaducts, some 1600 ft long and up to 100 ft high were built and are a feature of this length of Motorway. Access to the site of the viaduct was extremely difficult. In all nine new bridges and 1.5 m cu.yds. of excavation, of which 60% was rock, were required on this 5 miles of M5.
The familiar stretch of the M5 motorway, between Bristol & Clevedon, under construction.
This contract, which commenced in April 1970, was let to Cementation Ltd. for a tender sum £5.7m.
It started at the south abutment of the Avonmouth Bridge and
