Vale Road Bridge Rhyl, North Wales – Case Study

Brett Landscaping kerb systems solves Welsh bridge challenge

Project: Vale Road Bridge, Rhyl
Client: Denbighshire Council, MWT Civil Engineering
Product: Trief GST1A kerbs

Brett Landscaping has been able to supply a modified kerb system to keep traffic flowing across a key bridge in the historic seaside town of Rhyl, North Wales.

Brett Landscaping’s Trief GST1A kerbs were used across the Vale Road bridge which helps to connect the town to the rail station. The kerb units could offer a unique solution to protect the Victorian bridge structure without compromising the existing access across the bridge.

The Vale Road bridge had many different design aspects to satisfy, including requiring reinforcement to protect the structure from the rigours of passing traffic, without reducing the width of the carriageway available for traffic to pass and while maintaining access for pedestrians. A further challenge of the design brief required effective drainage from rain water that could prevent a build-up of water across the camber of the bridge.

Working with Jayne Valentine, Senior Engineer at Denbighshire Council, Brett Landscaping was able to develop a variation of the Trief GST1A kerb unit to include horizontal dowel holes to aid in the structural integrity of the installation, core holes to provide a drainage outlet for rain water build up on the footpath to the rear of the kerbs and provide details for the installation of a guard rail to the rear of the kerbs.

The kerbs have been installed as part of a Denbighshire County Council-funded £125,000 project designed to update and modernise the transport links around Rhyl.

Brett Landscaping’s technical and manufacturing team were able to design and supply units where the dowel holes were drilled from the rear of the kerb, to a depth of 150mm into the kerb to enable the council to anchor the railing units to the back of the concrete kerbs, rather than the top of the kerb.

This design feature would prevent the guard rail being used as a lever to pop the kerbs out of position if hit by large vehicles.

Brett Landscaping also provided on-site installation advice and guidance to the project contractor MWT Civil Engineering during the project.

Jamie Gledhill, National Specification Sales Manager, Brett Landscaping, said:

“By working with the Senior Engineer at Denbighshire Council, we were able to supply a simple but effective solution that would reinforce and protect the footpath and parapet without reducing the volume of traffic that could move across the bridge. We were able to modify the design of our effective Trief GST1A kerbs to suit the design brief and worked on-site with the team from the council to ensure the installation was successful.”

Councillor Brian Jones, cabinet member for highways, environmental impact, waste and sustainable travel at Denbighshire Council said:

“The works being carried out are essential and is part of the council’s commitment through its corporate plan to improve the road network.”