Highways Agency
Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers
Introduction
The Project
Contract 1 will widen approximately 23km (14 miles) of motorway between Sandiacre (Junction 25) and Pinxton (Junction 28). We will convert the hard shoulder into a running lane to create 4 lanes and add a new hard shoulder wherever possible. All the works will be within the existing Highways Agency land boundary. There will be no work at any junctions except where the slip roads meet the motorway. All the existing rights of way will remain apart from short term restrictions during construction.
Details of closures and restrictions scheduled to be in place can be found on the Traffic Management page for this scheme.
Regeneration and wider economic impact for the Contract 1 area
The widening scheme will primarily benefit the economy as a result of reduced congestion and improved accessibility to the region.
In particular, the scheme will assist in supporting policies and proposals for the regeneration and economic development of those areas through which the route passes, or which have good access to the widened motorway.
The benefits will be spread furthest where accessibility to a motorway junction is best. Nottingham and Derby should both benefit from this improved accessibility, which should assist in underpinning their roles as regional and sub regional centres.
The Contract 1 area can be seen below:
Works Progress
Progress so far
We held exhibitions at Nuthall, Risley and Pinxton in October 2007 to tell you how we would carry out the project. These were attended by over 1,000 members of the public and representatives of interested organisations. We have also responded to more than 140 people who requested further information on environmental and other motorway issues.
In our first newsletter we told you that one of our first tasks would include tree and vegetation clearance and work on several bridges. The majority of the vegetation clearance was completed by the end of February 2008, before birds started nesting in the spring. Clearance work will be completed in the autumn.
We have begun removing topsoil. This will be stored for use on the verges later in the scheme.
Work has started on a number of other bridges in Pinxton and on the A610 in Nuthall.
We have started the earthworks. This involves removing material from places where it would be in the way of the new lanes and placing it in other areas where more material is needed.
As the scheme has progressed, we have ensured that people who are affected by our works are aware of anything significant that we are doing via this website, newsletter, press and other media.
Work in progress
To limit delays to drivers on the motorway, three lanes are being kept open in each direction during the day (6am to 8pm). In addition, we will not have a contraflow at any point during the work.
The first major change to the motorway layout was the introduction of narrow lanes on the southbound carriageway between J27 (Annesley) and J26 (Nuthall), followed three weeks later by similar measures on the northbound carriageway. A 24-hour 50mph speed limit has been introduced for the safety of drivers and roadworkers on this section, enforced with average speed safety cameras.
To protect the workforce and road users, a temporary metal barrier has been installed between the traffic and the construction area on each carriageway.
Because there is now no hard shoulder between J26 and 27 and no electronic message signs or telephones between J25 and 28, we have installed an extensive system of 64 CCTV cameras which will be monitored 24 hours a day. These provide swift identification of incidents and will help us reach you if your vehicle breaks down. We have recovery vehicles at four locations, capable of removing cars and lorries from the roadworks section.
The current restrictions between J26 and J27 will be in place until autumn 2008. Information about future road closures and lane restrictions can be found on the Traffic Management page of this web site. We will also provide this information to local media.
The Works
The Works
The work to add one extra lane in each direction between junction 25 and junction 28 started in October 2007.
To complete this we will need to:
- Move more than 800,000 tonnes (787,000 tons) of earth.
- Install 50km (31 miles) of new drains.
- Demolish and replace one bridge and improve other bridges.
- Replace hundreds of street lights.
- Convert the existing hard shoulder to become a traffic lane.
- Construct a new hard shoulder and resurface the motorway with low noise material.
- Install a new concrete safety barrier in the central reserve.
- Put up around 50 gantries with signs over each carriageway.
The work planned over the next few months is:
March and April 2008
- Widening work from junction 26 to junction 27 - extending the embankments and widening the cuttings, constructing walls and other devices to support large amounts of earth, removing some parts of the old carriageway, laying a new carriageway surface, creating gantry sign foundations (up until the autumn).
- Continuing bridge work at the B600, Nottingham Road, Nuthall; and at the A610, Nuthall.
- Start of bridge work at the B6019 Kirkby Lane, Pinxton. Kirkby Lane will have two-way traffic signals from 25 March to 9 April 2008; it will be closed from 10 April until late July.
- Continuing edge strengthening work at various footpaths and bridleways.
May and June 2008
- Further widening work from junction 26 to junction 27.
- Continuing bridge work at the B600, Nottingham Road, Nuthall, and at the A610, Nuthall, and at the B6019 Kirkby Lane, Pinxton. Kirkby Lane will be closed from 10 April until late July.
- Continuing edge strengthening work at various footpaths and bridleways.
July and August 2008
- Further widening work from junction 26 to junction 27.
- Completion of bridge work at the A610, Nuthall, and at the B6019 Kirkby Lane, Pinxton.
- Continuing edge strengthening work at various footpaths and bridleways.
- Start of bridge work at Brookhill Lane, Pinxton. Brookhill Lane will be closed until November 2008, once Kirkby lane is reopened.
Details of closures and restrictions scheduled to be in place can be found on the Traffic Management page for this scheme.
Minimising Disruption
We apologise in advance for any disruption we may cause, our aim is to minimise this wherever possible.
For our neighbours we will minimise disruption by:
- Carrying out as much of the work as we can during daytime.
- Signing clear diversion routes where we have to close roads temporarily; these diversions will be agreed with local authorities, and we will keep the closures to the shortest time we can.
- Locating our site offices next to the motorway and where our site vehicles or operations have the least direct impact on people.
- Replacing noise barriers as quickly as we can.
- Using techniques and machines designed to minimise vibration.
- Taking measures to reduce the amount of dust we produce.
- Ensuring we keep in constant contact with our neighbours throughout the project to keep them informed of the details as work progresses.
For road users we will minimise disruption and ensure their safety during construction by:
- Keeping three lanes in each direction available between 6am and 8pm; where we need lane or carriageway closures, we will plan these wherever possible to be at night when fewer people use the motorway.
- Not having contraflows i.e running some of the traffic in opposing directions on one carriageway of the M1 - this will be safer and help traffic run more smoothly through the roadworks.
- Operating a 50mph enforced speed limit through the roadworks – because the hardshoulder is closed and lane widths reduced during the works. This makes it safer for the workforce and drivers by giving drivers more time to react to traffic conditions ahead.
- Monitoring the route by CCTV, and dispatching free recovery vehicles as soon as we see a breakdown or accident. Vehicles and their occupants will be taken to local motorway service areas e.g. Tibshelf or Trowell.
Keeping Your Children Safe
We hope that you will work with us to ensure that we achieve our goal of a safe site. We are particularly concerned that children understand the dangers associated with a construction site and that you will help us to discourage them from entering the site to explore or play.
Keeping You Informed
- There will be signs erected throughout the site giving contact details in the case of emergency.
- Please tell us of any concerns that you have about our work so that we can do our best to resolve them quickly.
- You can raise other issues or queries by using the contact details set out below.
Highways Agency Information Line - 08457 50 40 30 or ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk
How we will widen the motorway
Cuttings and embankments
We will need to alter embankment and cutting slopes to provide space for the extra lane in each direction. We will use a range of engineering methods such as retaining walls, soil nailing or steepening of existing slopes. The main point to note is that all the work will be undertaken within the existing motorway boundary; no land will need to be acquired. This will also minimise disturbance to the local environment and residents.
Bridges
We will be widening some underbridges, and replacing one overbridge, within the existing land. Parapet heights will be modified where necessary to meet current Highways Agency standards on bridges which carry designated bridleways.
Environmental effects in the area
Careful consideration has been given to the environmental effects of the project. Environmental surveys have been undertaken for Contract 1 to establish the impact of widening.
Mitigation
Measures to prevent damage to the environment are known as mitigation measures. We have developed measures to minimise potential environmental impacts and to incorporate mitigation into the Contract 1 works.
Among these mitigation measures are: new noise barriers, landscape planting, and pollution control measures.
These environmental protection measures form an integrated part of the highway design.
Lighting
New lighting will be provided throughout the length of Contract 1. Generally, the lighting columns will be mounted in the verge. They will be 15m high and be of a light grey colour.
Signs, gantries and signals
The communications network will be upgraded to meet the demands of the latest technology to be used on the scheme. The existing direction signs and gantries will be replaced with a system of sign and signal gantries at approximately 800 metre (0.5 miles) intervals, with gantries on the approach to junctions having advance direction signs.
Road surface
The type of existing road surface varies. In some locations there is already a low noise surface and in other areas a conventional road surface. On completion of the widening the road surface type will be low noise throughout the scheme.
Safety barriers
We will provide a Vertical Concrete Barrier in the central reserve. This type of barrier minimises the risk of crossover accidents and is safer for roadworkers because it requires less maintenance. This also means that there willl be fewer occasions when lane closures will be necessary to carry out repair work on the central reserve barrier.
On the verge, a steel barrier system will be used wherever it is necessary to protect drivers from impact with the lighting columns and gantry sign bases.
Environmental Information
For more information on the environmental aspects of Contract 1, please read the Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement, which can be found from the scheme homepage for this project under Publications.
Timetable
We appointed the contractor MVM in January 2007. The detailed design and planning work has been completed to allow construction work to start in October 2007.
The construction will be in stages. The first will be the section between Junction 26 and Junction 27. This will be followed by the remaining sections.
Details of closures and restrictions scheduled to be in place can be found on the Traffic Management page for this scheme.
Key dates
Please note that these dates are projections and are subject to change.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Bridge widening, Junction 25 to Junction 28 (various locations) | October 2007 to Autumn 2010 |
| Vegetation Clearance Junction 25 to Junction 28 | January 08 - March 08 |
| Verge work Junction 26 to Junction 27 (to construct new lane) | 27 January 2008 to Autumn 2008 |
| Verge work Junction 25 to Junction 26 and Junction 27 to Junction 28 (to construct new lane) | Autumn 2008 to Summer 2009 |
| Central Reserve work Junction 25 to Junction 26, and Junction 27 to Junction 28 | Summer 2009 to New Year 2010 |
| Central Reserve work Junction 26 to Junction 27 | New Year 2010 to Autumn 2010 |
| Contract 1 motorway widening complete | Autumn 2010 |
Historical Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Entry into Targeted Programme of Improvements (Now known as Programme of Major Schemes) | April 2004 |
| Environmental Statement Published | Spring 2006 |
| Public comment/consultation for Contracts 1 and 2 | March to June 2006 |
| Public Exhibition | Spring 2006 |
| Contract Awarded to MVM | Jan 2007 |
| Ministers Decision to Proceed | 6th August 2007 |
|
Start of Works Exhibitions: Temple Centre, Nottingham Road, Nuthall, NG16 1DP |
Thursday 18 October 2007, 2pm to 8pm Thursday 25 October 2007, 2pm to 8pm. Saturday 27 October 2007, 10am to 3pm. |
| Contract 1 motorway widening work starts | 29 October 2007; first major traffic management on the M1 January 2008. |