IT’S NOT often that a wall attracts attention unless of the Hadrian’s or Chinese variety.
But now Leamington can add its, albeit slightly more diminutive, wall-based crowd puller in the form of a new gabian retaining wall at the A452 Ford Foundry construction site.
People have been visiting the improvement scheme, situated between Myton Road and Old Warwick Road, to admire the impressive 91-metre structure.
Among their number has been Nicola Van der Hoven, Warwickshire County Council’s head of engineering design services. Nicola has been inspecting the quality of the wall, to ensure the continued high standard of WCCs engineering projects.
The wall consists of galvanized steel mesh cages filled with approximately 275 cubic metres of crushed limestone, sourced from a local quarry. Stones measuring between 100 and 200mm have been meticulously hand-placed along the wall’s face, creating an aesthetically pleasing and natural finish.
With varying heights of up to three meters in certain sections, the construction of the wall started in September and was completed in December.
Gabion walls serve as essential structures to retain earth and prevent erosion. These durable and environmentally friendly walls are made from welded steel baskets filled with large stones. By leveraging the weight of the stone-filled baskets and the permeability of the structure, gabions allow water to naturally drain through the voids between the stones, making them an ideal solution for urban infrastructure projects.
WCC’s transport spokesperson Coun Jan Matecki said: “This important phase of the A452 Ford Foundry improvement scheme demonstrates Warwickshire County Council’s commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure projects for the local community. I am delighted the full construction of the wall has now been completed.”
