PROJECT NUMBER: 1708-01
PROJECT TITLE: PILGRIM ROUTE
DATE: 11th June 2017
DURATION: 4 Months/ Ongoing
RELATION TO THIS PROJECT: We were tasked with carrying out works across the pilgrim route. This involved boggy areas, working on sensitive areas and dealing with difficult landowners. Path creation and road reinstatement was the majority of the works on this site.
The Client selected SCOTFAST to carry out this work as they have worked with our team previously and knowing that our knowledge of wetland and boggy areas would meet well with the requirements of this project.
Our initial scope of works included sections 11-16, starting at Balcurvie (Kennoway) and travelling north and then east through challenge, Over many active farms and through woodlands and was heavily inaccessible for the most of the route.
Our main objectives included creating and maintaining good relationships with landowners and keeping good communication of ongoing works while delivering our project on time and within budget.
Our original scope of works included site preparation including tree felling and scrub removal for access, path and road creation, path and road reinstatement and fencing works. We worked closely on site with Countryside Ranger and reported daily our outputs and suggested targets for the next day. Our deadline for completion of sections 11-16 was ten weeks.
SCOTFAST arrived on site and started in the area of works that was known to be a problem mainly due to being a boggy area with a steep slope and a required gradient for path specifications.
We had been onsite for two days and put forward a value engineering solution to the Client to excavate the rotten rock from our cut and fill section on the hill and use this in the boggy area. Looking to better the contract commercially and also remove a requirement for 300 tonnes of fill stone for the boggy area to be hauled up a not yet made access route.
Our proposal was accepted with all involved delighted, and this set our standard for the project.
SCOTFAST installed several new roads through the route and assisted by the Countryside Ranger installed onsite developed drainage solutions for wet areas. Over 35 culverts have now been installed across the route with headwalls and splash plates upland road-building techniques utilised.
Delivering over 6500 tonnes of material across the works, this was an operational dream for our Contracts Manager Jeff Mitchell. Coordinating route signs, forestry roads and tracked dumpers for wet areas along with our suppliers was a great experience. We dealt directly with Tillhill sending a request letter to use a forestry track for access that we reinstated once we had completed our works in that section.
Alongside the roadworks, our works included installation of over 20 centre wire gateways and cattle grids. Our 4AT Tracked loader with minimal ground pressure led out materials for most of our gate installation.
SCOTFAST completed our initial works within seven weeks and below budget that allowed other works along the FPW to be carried out. We are still taking on more works from the Client on a weekly basis having felled small woodlands and installed over 1km of the new path near Kincardine bridge and 2.5km of re instatement beside Pattiesmuir cemetery.
