Construct - Issue 50

Project

WORKING IN ONE OF LONDON’S MOST FAMOUS DESTINATIONS TOOK CARE AND LONG-TERM THINKING A LANDMARK

Where can you find some of Europe’s most prized artwork, four famous lions and a team of FM Conway operatives hard at work? Trafalgar Square, of course. Earlier this year, the team resurfaced London’s iconic thoroughfare. With tens of thousands of vehicles of all sizes and many more pedestrians passing through Trafalgar Square every day, FM Conway knew that customer and stakeholder management was key to the successful delivery of this project. Conversations between FM Conway, Westminster City Council and stakeholders such as Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police started early, to develop a plan of action that would keep the heart of London beating while work was ongoing.

“Trafalgar Square is not only one of the most recognised British landmarks around the world but also one of the busiest. The surfacing work had to hit a multitude of targets – deliver excellent performance and durability, be done at speed, with maximum efficiency while keeping our carbon goals in mind. We’ve worked with FM Conway over the years and are aligned on the high standards we aim for – so we were confident that together we could achieve these targets while completing these important works,” says Mark O’Leary, operations manager at Westminster City Council who led the project. A significant consideration for the team was how to navigate the busy traffic flow. Vehicles approach from The Mall, Whitehall and the Strand, with the square marking the convergence of three of London’s most recognisable roads. Maintaining access to the Houses of Parliament to the south and Buckingham Palace, which is just a stone’s throw away on The Mall, was imperative.

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