The A4440 Worcester Southern Link Road Phase 4 has achieved BREEAM Infrastructure (formerly CEEQUAL) certification with an Excellent rating (75.3%). A mark of excellence for sustainable design, construction, and environmental performance.
Delivered for Worcestershire County Council by Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, with design input from Burroughs, COWI, Moxon Architects and Wallingford HydroSolutions. Environmental design and construction support was provided by TACP (UK) Ltd with cultural heritage expertise from Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Services.
Jacobs supported the project from inception to delivery, developing the initial scheme and business case, acting as Client Representative and providing NEC contract administration and project assurance.
This project completes the final section of the Southern Link Road, crucially easing congestion in Worcester, improving connections to the M5 and Worcestershire Parkway, and strengthening the region’s resilience and economy.
Located in an area rich in history and biodiversity, the project demonstrates how sensitive landscapes can be enhanced through thoughtful design and collaborative planning. Designed with flooding resilience in mind, it incorporates new viaducts and a flood compensation area, maintaining natural floodplain capacity while enhancing biodiversity and long-term climate adaptability.
The project improves active travel infrastructure, providing a widened cycleway along its length and new grade-separated crossings that promote sustainable mobility, improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists and provide gateway features.
Key achievements include
The new Carrington Bridge became the first in the UK to use S460W steel, reducing material use by 15% and lowering embodied carbon, in turn reducing the impact on the capacity of the floodplain and helping to maintain flood water conveyance rates.
Innovative optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating revealed new insights into the 1651 Battle of Worcester, contributing to national and international heritage knowledge. Highlighted in interpretation for visitors to the project.
Extensive ecological mitigation was in place due to the to the project’s proximity to the River Severn and River Teme, River Teme SSSI, a local wildlife site and functional connectivity to the Seven Estuary and River Clun SACs. This included badger setts, bat and bird boxes, reptile hibernacula, and a biodiversity-rich semi-wet grassland flood compensation area. All providing long-term habitat value.
Sustainable construction practices took place, such as reuse of materials for the flood compensation area, lime stabilisation of arisings to avoid waste removal, solar lighting, and careful design of lighting at Ham’s Way Cycle and Footbridge.
The A4440 Southern Link Road Phase 4 exemplifies how innovative engineering and design can enhance connectivity, improve resilience, and deliver long-term benefits for the people and places it serves.
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