LATEST INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

Welsh Government freezes all new road building projects

The suspension has been imposed whilst the Welsh government undertakes a review; Ministers have indicated that the move is necessary as part of Wales’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

As such, plans for schemes including the Deeside “Red Route,” the third Anglesey Crossing and the Llandeilo Bypass have all been put on hold. However, for other projects where physical works have commenced, such as the Heads of the Valleys Road, progress will continue.

Wales is aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050; Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters has revealed that, in order to achieve this, emissions cuts will need to double what has been cut over the last 30 years.

With transport also reportedly accounting for 17% of Welsh emissions, the Welsh government is reviewing the feasibility of reallocating funds for new roads to maintaining existing routes and investing in public transport.

Modular railway bridge to set new precedent for crossing designs

Network Rail has unveiled a new bridge design which could transform rail crossings nationwide; the plans for the innovative circular bridge were revealed earlier this month at New Civil Engineer’s Future of Bridges conference.

Comprising a lightweight material (Fibre-Reinforced Polymer), the environmentally friendly bridge can be installed within a matter of days and it can be modified as necessary to meet different locational requirements, owing to its modular design. The bridge also has the capacity to monitor usage and assess maintenance needs.

Developed at Long Marston, Warwickshire, the prototype has taken 11 months to develop. With Network Rail currently only having one option when building a new bridge or replacing an old one, it is hoped that this ground-breaking design can be adopted and simplify the process. The next phase of the project entails the process of developing sustainable procurement and construction options.

World’s longest subsea electricity cable completed

Testing has now commenced on the North Sea Link, a new 720km interconnector that will trade power between the United Kingdom and Norway. The power capacity of the cable is 1.4GW – equivalent to a nuclear reactor.

A significant part of the UK’s strategy for increasing offshore wind and reducing emissions, interconnectors allow the grid to share or import power depending on supply and demand. On windy days when the UK has excess power from offshore wind, power can be exported to Norway via the cable. Alternatively, on calmer days, the UK can import power generated through Norwegian hydropower.

A 50-50 joint venture between Statnett and National Grid, it is anticipated that the cable will be in situ for 50 years. The cable has now been connected, laid down and buried below the seabed; testing has commenced with the voltage to be increased over the coming weeks.

Plans submitted for Cambridge south railway station

More than four years after the scheme was first proposed, a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) has been submitted by Network Rail, seeking planning permission to build a new station and associated infrastructure. The proposed station, Cambridge South, would serve the city and biomedical campus, supporting the growth of new jobs and homes in the city.

The application follows two consultation periods in 2020 where views were sought in respect of the station’s location, facilities, and access provisions. The proposals include a new two-storey, four-platform station with modification to local roads and crossings. In addition, the application seeks provisions to enhance the local rail infrastructure, such as remodelling the existing track layout and introducing overhead electrification.

As part of the TWAO process, there is a period for anybody with an affected interest to submit objections or raise representations of support to the Secretary of State. The period of objection for the proposal closes on Monday 2nd August 2021.

Data roaming charges to be reintroduced by EE

Having previously stated that roaming costs would not be implemented after the Brexit trade deal, BT-owned mobile phone operator EE is now set to start charging its UK customers to use their phones in Europe.

In January, EE, o2, Three and Vodafone all indicated that although the UK’s departure from the EU enabled them to do so, they would not be reintroducing roaming charges. Under the trade deal between the UK and the EU, both sides are to encourage operators to have “transparent and reasonable rates” in respect of roaming.

Since 2017, network operators in EU countries have been banned by law from charging customers to use their phones in other member countries. Legislation had been passed following multiple cases of “bill shock”, whereby holidaymakers had been issued with bills of thousands of pounds, having used their devices to connect to the internet whilst abroad.

However, from January 2022, new customers to the EE network or those upgrading after mid-July will have to pay £2 per day when using their phones in 47 European countries. Although EE is the first UK operator to officially reintroduce the charges, o2 has indicated that it will impose an additional “fair use” charge if customers use more than 25GB of data in a month.

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