17 SWWIC members gathered on Wednesday 3rd August for a visit to the impressive Forder Valley Link Road, Plymouth. This major infrastructure project has been nearly 10 years in the making and supports the development of much needed housing and employment in the north of Plymouth.
The one-kilometre road linking William Prance Road in Derriford and the Forder Valley Road/Novorossiysk Road junction will alleviate traffic congestion currently experienced on the A386, the main link between the City Centre and the town of Tavistock.
We visited both the bridge spanning the Bircham Valley and the ecology ponds and learnt much about the incredible work that has gone into minimising the impact of the scheme on the natural environment. We observed ‘Otter Ledges’ that have been incorporated into the new culvert and were delighted to hear that an otter had been observed making full use of the new facility only the night before! We never even realised that otters were present in the Forder Valley!
We also learnt about the planting of sedum in some of the central reservation areas at the junction. Rather than leaving bare concrete, sedum planting will not only visually improve the road but also provide benefits for drainage and wildlife whilst remaining low maintenance.
Ongoing monitoring of the site is scheduled to ensure the natural environment is not negatively impacts and continues to flourish.
A big thank you to Civil Engineers Rosie Poad and Katy Toms from WSP for organising the visit and Vanessa Woods from Balfour Beatty who made us feel most welcome.
