BRIGHT'N EARLY

Restraints in the working of chalk during winter months have been overcome by the contractor working on the A27 Brighton bypass, part of a scheme to upgrade the A27 route from the West Country to the Channel Tunnel. As most of the excavated chalk is used in structural embankments, noise bunds and landscaped areas along the route, most of the bulk shifting was carried out in the summer months. A temporary drag road was built to avoid crossing a busy route into Brighton and the site of a 44m span arch bridge. More time was saved by constructing the bridge from top down as the chalk from this section was not required until later in the contract. Shuttering was fixed during construction to match the 36m radius of the bridge soffit. Surface profiting computer software was used to design a route that would blend with the rolling landscape of the South Downs. Large sections of the road are hidden in cuttings and sculpted noise bunds are used to conceal sections built on embankments. The alignment is such that it was placed as close as possible to existing residential areas to lessen the pressure to develop the land between the new road and the town. Top soil has been placed on exposed chalk before planting trees and shrubs.