Case Study - Effective management of ecological constraints with minimal impact on project delivery
The M23 motorway is a crucial part of the UK strategic road network connecting Crawley and Gatwick Airport to the M25 motorway. The stretch between junctions 8 and 10 is heavily used by traffic travelling to and from Gatwick Airport and between Brighton and London, especially during UK holiday periods.
A two-year project to upgrade the M23 motorway near Gatwick Airport started in June 2018 and will result in huge benefits for drivers travelling through the area.
Together with SWT Ecology Services, the Wildlife Trust Consultancies demonstrated significant flexibility on this contract, being able to resource a team at very short notice during peak ecology survey season and to successfully integrate with Kier Highways projects team.
The project involved providing a team of ecologists, including a lead Ecological Clerk of Works and resource specialisms from The Wildlife Trust Consultancies (EMEC, EcoNorth and Kent Wildlife Trust). Advice on protected species included:
- Great Crested Newt (mitigation and creation of hibernacula)
- Reptiles (mitigation and creation of hibernacula)
- Bats (Preliminary Ground Level Roost Assessment of Trees)
- Badger sett exclusion (closure of 57 holes over seven setts)
- Roman snail licence application and approval and mitigation
- Provision of advice in relation to Japanese knotweed
- Hazel dormouse mitigation.
Following advice from our ecologists, the Kier Environmental Manager won an internal award as a result of the successful management of ecological constraints.
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