Jones Bros take the chequered flag on Anglesey

Seven years on since the UK’s last new-build racing circuit, civil engineering company Jones Brothers of Ruthin, North Wales, have recently completed the construction of a major new motor racing circuit (pictured right) on the Isle of Anglesey. The 10-month contract comprised mostly large-scale rock and earthmoving and high-quality track surfacing, but also involved on-site quarrying and aggregate crushing/processing. Jones Brothers completed the £3.4 million contract on time and on budget for clients Trac Mon Ltd.

In total, 350,000m3 of soil and rock were stripped and re-deposited on site to create the new profile for the 3.6km long, 12m wide circuit. All the materials excavated during construction remained on site, while the establishment of an on-site borrow pit met all the requirements for stone for drainage, capping, sub-base and the tarmac basecourse. This significantly reduced the cost of the project, provided savings on fuel and reduced local disruption by keeping an estimated 3,500 return truck journeys off the local roads.

The track construction itself comprised a 200mm capping layer, 100mm of Type 1 sub-base, 150mm of lower road base, a 50mm binder and 30mm surface courses. The lower road base was produced on-site using a specialized foaming plant which cold-mixed raw aggregate, pulverized fuel ash, cement and foamed bitumen.

The binder was a conventional heavy-duty design mix, while the surface course was a more specialized product consisting of 6mm high-PSV aggregate with a polymer-modified binder for increased durability and longevity, known as the ‘Brands Hatch Mix’.

Project manager Eddy Jones said: ‘To complete a project as big as this on time and on budget was a very satisfying achievement for Jones Brothers. The location presented a series of challenges including a highly exposed coastal location, terrible weather conditions and designated SSSI land on two sides. Also, the site was originally an MoD missile firing range, so before any work could be done the entire area had to be checked for buried military ordnance.

‘Crucially, the track had to be completed for the opening day of the season; failure to open on time would have been financially catastrophic for the track’s owners. It simply had to be ready.’

Jones Brothers’ managing director, Huw Jones, added that the contract had utilized the full range of the company’s capabilities, including quarrying, plant hire and road surfacing. ‘Racing circuits are not built very often and we are very proud to have had the opportunity to construct this one,’ he said.

Richard Seaman, resident agent at Anglesey Racetrack Ltd, expressed his delight with the quality of the finished track. ‘Early feedback from the drivers regarding the surface has been very positive,’ he said. ‘This was a very ambitious project and our expectations where high, but Jones Brothers and their partners have delivered exactly what was required.’