Overview
Ferry Lane has been transformed in an exemplar public realm regeneration project for Haringey Council. Pedestrian and cycle access is now a priority and Haringey’s Green and Open Spaces strategy has been successfully integrated. Marlborough Highways worked with Haringey Council through the Covid-19 pandemic to improve the popular route for road users, cyclists and pedestrians and enhance the look and feel of the area. The Razor Light, a well-known landmark in the area, was also removed as part of the project.
The Challenge
Ferry Lane public realm regeneration project was a 7-month scheme involving different services within the business from civils, surfacing, road markings, street lighting and traffic management. As the project began, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased Government restrictions, including the 2-metre social distancing rule for pedestrians.
A key part of the project was the removal of the Razor Light, however the record information with details of the construction type had been lost and therefore the construction type was unknown. This would need to be confirmed before the demolition of the Razor Light could be planned.
Part way through the project Marlborough was faced with another challenge, an unknown retaining wall below ground level. This meant that the proposed drainage design would not work, and an alternative drainage system would have to be determined for the swale areas.
Fact File
Client London Borough of Haringey
Date Start date of 16th March 2020
Duration 7 months
Value £915,000
Project
- Carriageway resurfacing (asphalt) and concrete footway paving
- Asphalt cycle lane/track
- Landscaping and planting works
- New tactile paving (blister and ladder/tramline) and granite kerbs
- New carriageway markings and parallel crossing
- Re-levelled utility covers
- New lighting columns
- Private access/crossovers
Client savings
- Existing waste was cleared adjacent to the River Lea, saving the client additional removal costs, and generally improving the area.
- Trees that were to be removed from “the paddock” area were chipped to be re-used by Haringey parks department.
- Marlborough worked collaboratively with Thames Water, who were also working along Ferry Lane. This avoided delays and an increased cost for Haringey Council.
Quote from client:
“It was great to work with Marlborough again on another scheme which brings benefits to the local community. The site team worked tirelessly, during the height of the pandemic, to deliver these key improvements in challenging circumstances. Marlborough were flexible throughout, accommodating major utility works and amending their method of work which resulted in cost and programme savings to the project. We would like to thank Marlborough for delivering the Ferry Lane project within budget and ahead of programme.
Tracey McGovern, Consultant Project Manager at Haringey Council
The Solution
To ensure Marlborough were complying with the Government guidelines and social distancing rules, pedestrians were rerouted to ensure that a safe 2-metre distance could be kept.
To safely remove the razor light, Marlborough detached the head of the column so that an engineer could see inside to see the construction type. When the engineer inspected the column and the construction type was known, the removal of the column was planned accordingly.
Following the discovery of the retaining wall, an alternative drainage solution was proposed – a soakaway. A series of percolation tests were needed to be carried out to standard to determine whether a soakaway was appropriate for the location. Marlborough carried out these tests for the client, which yielded good results. The client was happy with the proposed alternative drainage solution and a soakaway was installed.
“One of the things I value most is their very collaborative and transparent team culture. It makes a big difference to have a contractor who wants to work closely with us and is supportive and responsive. With Marlborough, I get a team who are attentive, work collaboratively and honestly with me and don’t lose focus on delivering first class communications and compliance.”
“One of the bonuses of working with Marlborough is they have their own, huge workforce of multi-skilled teams. That means we get the same 2 gangs understanding the job from start to finish and they understand the requirements and what it takes to get the job done”.
“Marlborough attracts people who take care and have pride in their work. Several gangs of Operatives worked tirelessly for 6 months to reconstruct drainage networks, lay more than 3km of high quality bespoke granite kerbs and granite channels blocks to ensure positive drainage. The technical compliance, attention to detail and level of quality finish along the entire carriageway was exceptional”.
“Once the cliff stabilisation project got underway there were a few unexpected challenges that required revisiting structural plans, coordinating material sourcing, supply and fit very quickly. Our Project Manager, took a proactive lead, improvised and didn’t sit back.”
“It’s really nice to work with main contractor, who can work side-by-side and together as one team with suppliers, other contractors and providers. Marlborough’s way of working means we do not get many resident complaints.”
“It was great to work with Marlborough again on another scheme which brings benefits to the local community. The site team worked tirelessly, during the height of the pandemic, to deliver these key improvements in challenging circumstances. Marlborough was flexible throughout, accommodating major utility works and amending their method of work which resulted in cost and programme savings to the project. We would like to thank Marlborough for delivering the Ferry Lane project within budget and ahead of the programme."
“We saw huge benefits in appointing Marlborough as our full service contractor and we’re impressed – they’ve delivered consistent high quality service and superior quality control across every project. Marlborough, provide us with a ‘one-stop’ shop solution – we get the same quality of service and better control across all aspects of the project.”
“Over the last 25 years, I’ve worked with a lot of different contractors and Marlborough is one of the few companies that are passionate about delivery. With Marlborough we get one team, with the perfect blend of skills and experience: established gangs, proactive Project Managers and fully engaged Operations and Senior Directors. Time after time, Marlborough has proved themselves to us and pulled out all the stops to get the job done."
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