April 2009
The Halcrow-designed project, Cross Valley link road and Upton flood attenuation area phases two and three, is currently in the limelight after two high profile award wins.
The project achieved an ‘excellent’ rating for the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award scheme (CEEQUAL) whole project award, which evaluates environmental performance from project inception through to construction completion.
It also scooped the top prize at the annual Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) East Midlands merit awards event as winner in the Large Project category.
The cross valley link road is a key piece of infrastructure in south west district of Northampton. The scheme will provide a direct 1.45km road link connecting the A45 Weedon Road from the M1 and Daventry to the west and the A45 Upton Way/Danes Camp Way heading to Towcester to the south. Linking residential and commercial land being developed on either side of the River Nene floodplain, the project contributes to the regeneration aspirations of client the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly English Partnerships).
The project included numerous environmental and sustainability challenges, as the link road crosses mostly agricultural land in the floodplain of the River Nene. The route runs through six important county wildlife sites and a site of acknowledged conservation value, with the immediately surrounding area designated to become a country park.
Project director Trevor Rackley said: “I would like to thank each member of the 100-strong project team for the part, however large or small, that they played in making this such a successful project.” The road was officially opened to traffic on 14 May by the mayor of Northampton.