Kier and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground-breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.
Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.
The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.
Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include over 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.
The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.
Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: "We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this groundbreaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub.
“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike."
Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.
Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.
“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”
Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.
The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.
Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.
This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).
