COAST CLINGER

This article reports a retired engineer's recollections of the 1930s upgrading of the North Wales coast road between Conwy and Bangor, which was even more hazardous and unpredictable than the reconstruction works now in progress there. Almost 60 years ago, Godfrey Forward worked on that major upgrading, which was also a massive modernisation job, converting Thomas Telford's original road into what was then a wide highway. One of the works was the reconstruction of part of the new A55 and included a tunnel at Penmaenbach and a viaduct at Pen y Clip. (The A55 there is now being converted into dual carriageway). Perhaps the most striking aspect of the project was the relatively small number of engineers employed to supervise the works. Although some of the methods were manual, many of the methods used then were similar to those used today. Ground conditions were treacherous and difficult, as the terrain was largely steep cliffs. The primitive early warning techniques in use then were useful for detecting slow slippage, but gave no warning of sudden collapse.

  • Availability:
  • Corporate Authors:

    Thomas Telford Limited

    London,   United Kingdom 
  • Authors:
    • BOLTON, A
  • Publication Date: 1991-8-8

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 36-7
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00630489
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Jun 21 1993 12:00AM