The Motorway Achievement Building the Network in Wales

by Hawker, Brian; Stevens, Howard

• ISBN13: 9781860775901
• ISBN10: 186077590X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: The History Press

Summary

Wales has less than one hundred of the two thousand miles of motorway constructed in Britain in the 20th century. However, the Principality can boast the first length of urban motorway, the first motorway tunnels, the longest rock tunnels, the first immersed tube tunnel, and major estuarial bridge crossings. Following an introductory chapter, this book describes the background, formulation, and implementation of the major roads strategy and comments on management of the built asset. The commentary in the concluding chapter reviews the past, the present, and the future. The overcoming of the engineering challenges and the successful completion of 80 miles of motorway in South Wales and 88 miles of near-motorway-standard dual carriageway in North Wales is celebrated in this book, which will appeal to all those with an interest in our civil engineering heritage.

Author Biography

Brian Hawker has been involved with highway design and construction since the 1950s working for consulting engineers, local and central government. He was, until his retirement in 1999, Head of Roads Major Projects Division in the Welsh Office.He was engaged on project management of major highway schemes, including sections of the M4 motorway, represented Welsh interests in the Second Severn Crossing and undertook the supervision and financial oversight of A55 schemes between Chester and Bangor. He was appointed an OBE in 1992 and he has been a Trustee of the Motorway Archive Trust since 2003.
Howard Stevens started work with Sir Alfred McAlpine in 1959 and `volunteered' to work on the M6 in 1961 when the company obtained a contract for the two lengths between Thelwall Viaduct and Preston Bypass. Thus began what was to be a lifetime involvement, either working on or as supervisory management, with motorways and major roadworks from the North West to the Midlands, London and the South East, Yorkshire, the West Country, and North and South Wales. He retired from full time employment in 1997 and has been a Trustee of the Motorway Archive Trust since its inception.