Birmingham Metro

Phase 1

Value £1,300,000

CPC were invited to tender for work on the Midland Metro as part of the Centro Tram extension from Snow Hill Station to New St Station in Birmingham.

The work started on 6^th August 2012 and involved the replacement of all cast iron mains that would either run closely parallel to, or cross under the new track. Where mains could not be remodelled to take them from under the track, each crossing was renewed in size for size MDPE and “dual fed” with accessible control valves either side of the tram track. This was to enable each crossing to be isolated to one side and flow maintained with the other so repair or maintenance could be carried out without major disruption to Tram services.

The mains were various sizes ranging from 50mm service crossings to 355mm mains running the whole length of Bull St and Corporation St, one of the busiest shopping areas in Birmingham. There was approx. 21 dual crossings and therefore up to 42 connections to complete, some of which were challenging to say the least. Almost all of these connections were completed out of hours in order to keep some very high profile businesses running as normal such as House of Fraser and Waitrose, not to mention the private apartments along the route.

Together with the Centro team we were involved in close liaison with all the stakeholders day and night and no major supply interruptions were logged throughout the work which was completed on time.

Phase 2

Value £1,890,000

CPC were awarded Phase 2 by invitation with agreed schedule of rates from phase 1 brought forward.

The work started 9^th February 2014

This phase was from New St Station to Broad St and in some ways was more challenging than phase 1 despite less stakeholder interface. Again this was the replacement of parallel and crossing mains of sizes 50mm to 250mm.

All 16 connections on the first half of this phase were completed out of hours and a team effort multi-lay operation was put in place using traditional open cut and vacuum excavators with Centro/National Grid/NMC and WPD.

The route took us through New St and Victoria Square which is high in pedestrian use day and night. Focus was on members of public safety at all times with marshalling and forward planning for access egress in and around the shopping, eating areas.

The second half of this phase took us on to Broad St and the laying of twin 600mm mains along bus lanes and outside some of the most visited areas in the City, Centenary Square, ICC, New Library building and within 3 feet of the Boulton, Watt and Murdoch (Gold Statue).

Despite the complicated network in this area and some unchartered mains the work was carried out without any major supply interruptions and on time.

Phase 3

Value £2,620,000

CPC were again awarded this phase by invitation with the agreed schedule of rates following on through phases 1 and 2.

The work started on 24^th October 2016 and at the time of writing is 85% complete.

This phase is in essence a substantial diversion of the existing 22” and 17” cast iron mains that run the full length (approx. 800m) of Broad St in Birmingham.

This street is well known for the night life of the City and the new tram line will run straight down the centre of it. Because of the size of the existing mains and the location of every other utility, it was not possible to relay these mains outside the proposed track line. The solution was to relay a twin 600mm and 450mm Ductile iron main off line and around busy back streets for 1.2km, with the view to abandoning the existing main in its entirety.

The sizes of these mains and the trench needed to lay them in itself posed some difficulties, all of which have been overcome with careful planning, good route proving and again close liaison with some key stakeholders when crossing their access roads such as The Hyatt Hotel, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Fiveways Property Management.

Client Testimonials