Bethell Construction

Greenbridge Lane Retaining Wall Re- construction

The project works entailed the dismantling and re- construction of an 85 metre length of stone masonry retaining wall which supports the existing carriageway adjacent to Chew Brook, a tributary of the River Tame.

Environment Agency consent was granted to establish a temporary linear cofferdam encapsulating the full length of the proposed foundation of the new retaining structure.

A multitude of services including HV cables were present in the adjacent footpath so the existnig wall was dismantled in lengths no greater than 5.0 metres at a time. The whole 3.0m high wall was re-constructed in a ‘hit and miss’ construction sequence utilising substantial earthwork support to maintain the stability of the adjacent carriageway.

The replacement structure was predominently mass concrete but as the riverside wall is situated within a conservation area, it was reconstructed using reclaimed masonry. The parapet was reconstructed using traditional drystone techniques.

This scheme was one of several retaining wall structures undertaken by Bethell for Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council that earned the prestigious ‘Green Apple Award’ in 2011.