M6 Junction 10 Improvements

The M6 is classed as the UK’s longest motorway, running from Catthorpe in Leicestershire up to the Scottish Border. Pell Frischmann was involved in the major redevelopment of the M6’s Junction 10 to improve connectivity and conditions for road users, cyclists, and pedestrians crossing the M6 motorway.

Pell Frischmann designed the junction improvements which involved the replacement of two existing bridges with new wider bridges to improve the junction circulatory capacity and flows.

What We Did

Pell Frischmann’s Highways team, in a joint venture with Capita, delivered Detailed Design and Site Supervision services on behalf of National Highways.

The design of the two bridges consisted of the use of weathering steel plate girders to support a reinforced concrete precast deck slab, the use of which was semi-integral with the abutments.

Pell Frischmann’s geotechnical experts innovatively recommended the use of lightweight fill material for the approach embankment. This significantly minimised the embankment’s weight, effectively decreasing the vertical load exerted on the existing poor ground conditions. By opting for lightweight fill, the necessity for extensive piling in the approach embankment was notably reduced, showcasing our team’s commitment to efficient and practical engineering solutions.

As one of the first adaptors of lightweight fill on National Highways schemes, this unique combination provided significant cost savings on piling requirements.

Outcome

The outcome of the project has been positive, with the new bridges improving connectivity and conditions for road users, cyclists, and pedestrians crossing the highway. The widening of the circulatory carriageway has helped reduced congestion at the interchange, and the innovative lightweight fill combined with soil reinforcement has provided significant cost savings on piling requirements.