The main works contract for the £10.38 million pound Barford Bypass was awarded to GallifordTry Construction plc. The company have offices in Wolvey, Warwickshire. The company has now become known as Morrison Construction. The main works was officially opened on the 14th May 2007. Both the A429 bypass and northern junction were opened to public traffic on Thursday, 3rd May 2007, 3 months ahead of the contractors programme.
An official opening ceremony was held at the south end of the old Barford Bridge with the presentation of a bench to the village. Speeches were made by James Plaskitt MP, County Councillors Chris Davis and Martin Heatley, John Deegan, Director of Environment & Economy and Steve Walsh, Managing Director of Galliford Try Construction (Infrastructure and Highways). View the press release.
The main works consisted of 2.1km single carriageway lying to the west of Barford village, three embankments, a 4 span steel beam and concrete deck bridge, with the main span bridging the River Avon, flood compensation area, 4 precast concrete box flood culverts and an additional flood culvert under the existing A429 causeway. The works also included a comprehensive landscaping scheme.
Traffic was diverted on to the bypass on Friday 23rd February 2007, almost four months ahead of the scheduled opening date to permit completion of the additional flood culvert through the existing road causeway.
Barford Bypass Construction Chronicle
Below is a plan showing the route of the bypass.
Barford Bypass Plan (1.2 MB). To view the file you will need free Adobe Reader.
If you wish to see a drawing of the new viaduct over the River Avon and flood plain please click on the following link Barford Bypass River Bridge . For details of the flood alleviation measures please click on the following links Main Bypass Flood Culverts and A429 Additional Flood Culvert .
Archaeological investigations were carried out during the construction of thebypass to the west of Barford on behalf of Warwickshire County Council. Archaeological remains dating from the Bronze Age to the Anglo-Saxon period, reflecting perhaps some 3000 years of occupation on the banks of the River Avon have been recorded. For more information on the investigations click on the following link Barford Archaeology Investigations
To find out more about the village of Barford go to the Barford Community Website. The website also has further aerial photographs of the River Avon in flood, taken in January 2007 and bypass during construction.
For general enquiries please email Highway Design Feedback or telephone 01926 476822.
Should you wish to find out more about the major highway and bridge schemes for the Rugby Western Relief Road project currently under construction please click on the following link Rugby Western Relief Road Construction Information.
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