Engineers have been carrying out specialist work on a stretch of the A417 Missing Link project for National Highways in the UK.
The engineers have been scaling rockfaces to carry out strengthening work on steep slopes above Gloucester as part of the A417 Missing Link scheme.
Running up and over the Cotswolds escarpment in dramatic Jurassic limestone cuttings, the landscape-led scheme is creating a free-flowing 5.6km dual carriageway link between the Brockworth bypass and the Cowley roundabout in Gloucestershire.
The escarpment has one of the highest inland concentrations of landslides in the UK. This has presented contractor Kier with a major engineering challenges.
Two deep cuttings, 50m-wide and up to 19m-high, have been excavated through the limestone to make way for an 800m section of the new road.
And following excavation, a team from engineering specialist GT Jones has been climbing the escarpment with safety ropes to clear loose material from the rock faces and repair and strengthen any faults and voids.
And once the road crosses the top of Crickley Hill, it will effectively be hidden from view by false embankments, while the deep rock cuttings will make visible the unique foundations of the Cotswold landscape.
The current rock climbing work will play a vital role in preventing future weathering and instability of the slopes, while creating a natural looking and improved finish.
“Our work on this vital scheme goes beyond simply building a new road, but also helping to preserve and enhance the landscape, and we’re really proud of all the engineering, environmental and ecological work being carried out as part of this project.
Ed Jones, commercial manager at GT Jones, said: “We’re proud to support the A417 Missing Link dentition works which requires specialist personnel, IRATA rope-access capability, and equipment designed for operating safely on steep and unstable rock faces.
“We’ve built strong experience in rock stabilisation, fissure remediation, and slope-engineering projects, and we’re applying that expertise directly here on the A417. By combining controlled descaling, targeted remediation, and engineered backfilling, we’re able to restore the structural integrity of the limestone escarpment and support Kier and National Highways in delivering a long-term, resilient solution.”
The scheme is progressing well and the construction of an underbridge at the top of the escarpment this year will enable a traffic switch from the existing A417 early in the new year, when drivers will be able to travel on a stretch of the new road in early 2026.
Supporting the landscape vision of the scheme, National Highways is continuing to work with stakeholders to maximise environmental benefits.
In the meantime, the site will shut down for the holiday period, from 19 December to 5 January.
