The £460 million A417 Missing Link project has reached a significant safety milestone, with contractors clocking up two million hours on site without a reportable incident.
Since construction began in spring 2023, around 500 people have worked on the scheme each day, which will improve a key route between Gloucester and Swindon, providing an alternative to the M5/M4 via Bristol.
A RIDDOR reportable incident refers to a serious injury, fatality, or dangerous occurrence that must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive under regulations.
Achieving such a long period without one is considered a significant measure of safety in the construction industry.
Work already completed includes pouring more than 3,000 cubic metres of concrete, moving 1.6 million cubic metres of earth, laying 18km of drainage pipes, fitting 1,682 tons of reinforced and structural steel, laying 10,000 tons of road surfacing, and progressing with the construction of six new bridges.
Celine Acard, Senior Project Manager for National Highways, said that safety is the number one priority for National Highways.
“We think nobody should be harmed while travelling or working on our roads and do all we can to try to make that happen,” she continued.
“For our contractors, Kier, to record over two million working hours without a serious incident is a fantastic achievement. We are pleased that the stringent safety measures put in place on site are paying dividends, and I’m confident that it will continue to do so.”
And the news has been welcomed by the construction firm. Gavin Jones, Keir’s Project Director for the scheme, echoed the comments about health and safety being a key concern for the company.
“To see this reflected in this project by achieving no RIDDOR reportable incidents since 2023 is something I am extremely proud of,” he said.
The road is expected to open to traffic in spring 2027.
It incorporates a wide range of environmental measures, including four miles of new dual carriageway between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley, a new junction at Shab Hill linking the A417 to the A436, and a new junction near Cowley to replace the existing roundabout.
Parts of the existing A417 will be repurposed as routes for walkers, cyclists, and horse riders.
