Highways England has appointed Knight Architects, along with engineering consultant WSP, to design bridge crossings for the proposed new A27 Arundel Bypass.
The Government-owned company is studying three alignment options to improve the road, costing up to £260m. Each option would create a new dual carriageway to join up the existing sections of dual carriageway either side of Arundel.
Proposal for the River Arun Floodplain Viaduct in alignment options 3 and 5a
Highways England has commissioned Knight Architects to work together with WSP to design all the bridges for the three options. The work carried out by Knight Architects includes seven different bridge types, to be used in more than 15 bridges, including a 1.7km long viaduct, a family of overbridges and two urban footbridges.
The A27 corridor through Arundel has historically suffered from congestion as it turns into a single carriageway in that area. Alignment options for the project include two possible new routes to the South of the town and one proposal widening the road mostly along its existing route.
Several important factors have been taken into account for the design of the bridges, including the visual impact of part of the scheme on panoramic views from the historic town of Arundel, the proximity of the South Downs National Park, including areas of Ancient Woodland, and that half of the road stretch crosses a floodplain with complex hydraulic behaviour.
Key aspects of Knight Architects’ designs include:
- maximising ‘transversal permeability’ above or below the scheme for people and fauna, minimising the severance caused by the new road
- using layouts that fit in the different landscapes crossed by the road (floodplain, woodlands and urban areas)
- creating a family of bridges that defines an identity for the new scheme
- using efficient structural layouts that provide a pleasant appearance at an appropriate cost
Highways England is running a public consultation, which ends on 16 October.
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