Arle Court Transport Hub reaches major construction milestone

A topping-out ceremony was held at Arle Court Transport Hub on Tuesday (23 January) to mark the scheme reaching its highest point.

To mark the occasion and follow topping-out tradition, a Nordman fir tree was lifted to the top of the building. Hornbeam trees were then planted on-site by representatives from Gloucestershire County Council and Kier Construction Limited, as part of the council’s commitment to creating a Greener Gloucestershire.

Construction began on the new, improved transport hub in May 2023 and significant progress has been made since. Once complete, it will offer regular bus services to Cheltenham and Gloucester and better connections to local sustainable transport such as walking and cycling routes.

It will also provide a range of new and improved facilities on site. These include: a covered outdoor waiting area; real-time information screens and an information desk; an indoor waiting area with the opportunity for a refreshments facility; electric vehicle charge points; and toilets, including a dedicated Changing Places toilet.

Work is being carried out by Kier Construction Limited, who were awarded the construction contract by Gloucestershire County Council following a competitive procurement process. The construction phase follows work that Kier had previously undertaken on the detailed design contract for the scheme.

The agreed contract price for the Kier works is £26m, which is being funded by UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) administered by Homes England and by the council.

Construction on the transport hub and multi-storey car park is due to be completed in summer 2024, with subsequent works on the west car park to be completed by autumn 2024. For more information and the latest updates, go to www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ACTH