Earlier this month, our Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level students were visited by Octavius Infrastructure to outline their current project on Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge starting this December.   

Ben Krawiec, Project Manager at Octavius, and Julie Jones, Stakeholder & Social Value Manager at Octavius, visited our students to share their industry insight, discuss their journey into their roles, and outline the large local project that the Civil Engineering team are executing this year.   

Octavius Infrastructure is a civil engineering and transport company that ensures efficient transport networks by keeping trains running smoothly and traffic moving on the roads, often working with major clients such as Network Rail and National Highways.  

Ben is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Construction Project Manager at Octavius who has worked on many bridge projects throughout his career. He explained to the students what Octavius do for the community, his role within the company, and how they are improving railway lines. He also discussed their current project to rebuild the Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge in Weston-super-Mare.   

Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge runs over the mainline railway connecting Bristol and the South West of England. It was built by the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War to provide easy access to the RAF’s aeroplane factory in Weston-super-Mare and remains an integral transport route for members of the public today. Due to the age of the bridge, it must now be replaced with a new structure that can withstand many more years of use in the future to ensure the bridge is not permanently closed.  

This project is being funded by the Ministry of Defence, with Octavius Infrastructure acting as the Design and Build Project Contractors. To minimise the disruption, they have placed a temporary footbridge across the railway to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge whilst the work takes place. The bridge is due to be demolished over Christmas and work beginning in the New Year 2026.   

However, this project has not been without its technical challenges, the main problem having to build the bridge on soft ground conditions, making it difficult to create a structure that will withstand heavy vehicles and pressure over time. They have also faced challenges with the statutory undertakers and the available time frames due to working closely with rail interface to work around their timetables to minimise disruptions to rail travel. Additionally, they are under a high-pressure timeline to complete the project and have many spatial restrictions due to the surrounding companies and residential areas.  

Ben added that this project has been a learning curve for his own professional development due to the residential closeness of the construction site. In previous projects, he is used to working in more secluded areas, therefore noise has not been an issue. However, due to Winterstoke Road Railway Bridge being surrounded by residential areas, they have had to consider a new approach to avoid disruption as much as possible.  

Ben and Julie handed out blueprints to students to show them the project plans, explaining the processes and reasonings behind certain decisions and give them a better understanding of the thorough details and drafts behind a project.  

This guest lecture provides our students with excellent insight into a career as a Civil Engineer, hearing about the projects they could complete, the challenges they will likely face, and the factors that must be considered throughout large projects like this.  

A big thank you to Ben and Julie from Octavius Infrastructure for taking the time to visit our T Level Construction students and explain the work you are doing within the community.  

This guest lecture forms part of the Construction Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.  

Progress to the next level in Construction! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here!  

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