Vegetation clearance and ground work for road improvement scheme – Glandyfi, Ceredigion. March and April 2010

Spencer ECA was involved in another important road improvement scheme in the Spring. Working with Ceredigion Country Council and the Mid-Wales Trunk Roads Agency on a project that was supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, Spencer was brought in to clear and prepare the surrounding area in advance of construction work being carried out.

The stretch of road in question was the A487 trunk road from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth and included the notorious ‘Glandyfi Bends’ that have, over the years, become a well-known accident black spot and point of congestion. The scheme is designed to improve visibility and increase the width of the road in order to overcome many of the issues that were causing the inherent traffic problems.

Spencer were the first contractors on site, its work involving the advance clearance of trees and vegetation from the sides of the existing road and the land which is included in the improvement scheme. Although this kind of operation is entirely familiar to Spencer, the geography of this particular area threw up a number of challenges: the height and steepness of the embankments and the traffic management implications.

The work involved the use of equipment such as Forwarder-mounted Press Collector and Fibre-Pack Brash Baler. The processed output of this residue enabled Spencer to supply in excess of 350-tonnes of biomass material to the power station in Margam and thereby ensure that all of the waste material was recycled and used effectively.

Spencer was later praised by the Ceredigion County Council for its involvement with this project and is expected to asked to carry out similar work for future highways improvement schemes.