The Orwell Bridge scheme delivered under the National Highways Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF) involved expediated replacement of ageing expansion joints on A14 westbound carriageway of Orwell bridge – a critical transport link in the East of England
At a glance
- Project value: £4m
- Client: National Highways
- Engineer: WSP
- Completion: August 2025
- Framework
With approximately 12,000 HGV movements over the bridge every day, the works were urgently commissioned to protect the safety of the public, alongside preventing disruption to the main route that is essential for all freight traffic heading to Felixstowe.
Winvic, National Highways, engineer WSP, and Chevron Traffic Management, collaborated to create a permanent solution for a 175-day programme which was consolidated to just 37 days as a result of working 24 hours, seven days per week in contraflow to minimise disruption on this busy route.
In 2025, the Orwell Bridge Scheme won the Judges Outstanding Achievement Award at the National Highways Asset Community East (ACE) “Better Together” Awards.
Community Engagement and Social Value
Winvic worked closely with local suppliers throughout the scheme, helping to boost the regional economy while minimising environmental impact. Committed to delivering meaningful social value and community engagement, the project team visited Morland Primary School in Ipswich to promote safety awareness around construction sites to over 120 pupils.
Beyond the classroom, our people volunteered their time to support community projects, which included the St. Elizabeth’s Hospice pop-up shop in Ipswich’s Buttermarket Centre, selling merchandise for the Hop-To-It Art Trail – one of the charity’s largest annual fundraising events.
To proactively engage with the general public to raise awareness of the upcoming works, Winvic attended two key public-facing events with National Highways: The Suffolk Show and the Buttermarket Centre in Ipswich.
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National Highways Scheme Delivery Framework
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Won Judges Outstanding Achievement Award at the NH Asset Community East (ACE) ‘Better Together’ 2025 Awards
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Collaborative working
Innovative Solutions
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Lamella Rail Removal: Traditionally taking one week, this task was completed 80% faster through use of a specialist floor saw, cutting five days from the schedule.
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Learning Transfer: Best practices, lessons learnt, and innovations from our Ouse Bridge project were applied to Orwell Bridge to ensure safe, rapid, and high-quality delivery.
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Integrated Collaboration: A highly collaborative approach between National Highways, Winvic, WSP, and Chevron Traffic Management enabled agile decision-making and streamlined delivery.
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