A huge number of construction projects have had to be put on hold lately due to the coronavirus pandemic across the world. However, Transport for London (TfL) has announced it has begun to resume building work following the easing of lockdown restrictions.
The organisation reported it has started to work on the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade once again, as well as the Northern Line extension and the transformation of Old Street Roundabout.
When lockdown commenced on March 23rd, work on 300 or so TfL sites immediately stopped in order to protect staff from the spread of coronavirus. While construction could no longer carry on, employees who were able to work from home to prepare these initiatives continued to do so. What’s more, logistics were arranged to accommodate social distancing procedures to enable construction work to resume within a phased structure.
Director of major projects Stuart Harvey said: “Our number one priority is always the safety of staff on our sites as well as the surrounding communities. We have carefully developed our plans and adapted our worksites by working closely with our supply chain.”
Among the changes that have been implemented to reduce the spread of the virus include staggering shifts and breaks to enable employees to spread their journeys outside of peak hours; producing clear signage for social distancing and one-way walking routes; introducing extra staff welfare areas; having extra handwashing facilities and sanitising stations on site; and reconfiguring canteens.
Some projects will also have an additional Site Supervisor to check social distancing rules are being adhered to, while Welfare Wardens will be introduced to control access to common areas and changing facilities.
Deputy mayor for transport Heidi Alexander added: “It’s really positive that work can now safely resume on key transport infrastructure projects, which will help to kickstart London’s economic recovery.”
Indeed, these projects will provide major improvements in capacity for Tube and rail in the capital, such as by extending the Northern Line to Battersea, increasing the size of Bank Station, and enlarging London Overground so it can benefit those living in the new housing development at Barking Riverside.
It also intends to transform Old Street Roundabout, improve Cycleways and make some road junctions safer, as well as support new walking and cycling infrastructure to make it easier for commuters to avoid using tube, bus or rail to get to work.
TfL is not the only organisation that is kickstarting their construction projects, as Sellafield Ltd has also announced it has restarted work on two more of its major initiatives.
It has revealed work on the Box Encapsulation Plant (BEP) and SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) sites, which comes after it re-opened the Box Encapsulation Plant Product Store Direct Import Facility (BEPPS-DIF).
As part of the phased restart, Sellafield has put extra safety precautions in place, including providing outdoor work and space to make social distancing easier; introducing one-way systems; implementing socially distanced changing rooms, canteens, barriers and the way people access and exit the sites.
SCP construction manager Steve Gilroy said: “Learning from other major construction projects at Sellafield and nationally has been incorporated into the SCP restart arrangements, which are based on a phased approach with careful consideration of our work activities.”
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