Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

A6 Alvaston Improvement

Opening Ceremony

Introduction

The £10.6m A6 Alvaston Bypass contributes to the Highways Agency&146;s aims of SafeRoads, Reliable Journeys, Informed Travellers. It completes the link between the A52 tothe north of Derby and the A50 Derby Southern Bypass. It will allow through traffic tobypass Derby, which will reduce congestion and improve safety in both Derby andAlvaston.

The work included:

Construction of a new dual carriageway approximately 1.5 miles (2.3 km) long to the eastof Alvaston between the existing Thulston Roundabout at the end of the A6 Spur and thenew Raynesway Park Roundabout at the junction with the A5111 Raynesway.

• The new footpath and cycle track network to the east of Alvaston.
• The 3.5m earthen mounds between Alvaston and the new road.
• The New Roundabout at Raynesway
• The distinctive cable-supported &145;Gateway to Derby&146; bridge at Green Lane
• The bridleway bridge at Elvaston Lane
• The oversized underpass for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians at the southern
• end near to Thulston Island
• New street lighting on short (10m) columns to minimise light pollution

The bypass is designed to remove through traffic from the existing A6 Shardlow Road,and will reduce traffic flows by up to 80 per cent. Around 20,000 vehicles per day willbypass the centre of Alvaston, significantly reducing local congestion and improvingsafety and air quality in the area.

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Scheme History

The A6 Alvaston Bypass first entered the roads programme in 1971as contract C of the A564 Derby Southern Bypass. The first PublicConsultations were held in 1976 and the Preferred Route wasannounced in 1980. Following the consultations the scheme wassplit from the A564 Derby Southern Bypass to allow that scheme tofast track to completion.

Following a full review in 1997, the scheme was included on thegovernment&146;s Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) listpublished in 1998. A Public Inquiry was held in June 2000 andstatutory Orders were published in September 2001.

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Design and Build Contract

The contract was awarded to Jackson Civil Engineering Ltd on 3rdJuly 2002, and construction work commenced on 12th August 2002.The contractors have finished the scheme early, delivering the newroad before Christmas, as promised.

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Route

Route map illustrating key improvements (80KB PDF)

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Benefits

The A6 Alvaston Bypass will enhance road safety and provide reliable journey times by moving through traffic away fromthe centre of Alvaston. The overall economy of the area will benefit from improved transport links to Derby and the surroundingarea.

The new road will:

• Significantly enhance road safety by preventing approximately 430 roadaccidents over the next 30 years, saving 462 slight injuries, 79 seriousinjuries and potentially 6 fatalities.
• Reduce congestion in the Alvaston area by removing up to 80% of throughtraffic, up to 20,000 vehicles a day, from the existing single carriagewayroad through Alvaston.
• Improve journey time reliability between the A50, the A52 and Derby byallowing traffic to flow smoothly and overtake safely.
• Significantly reduce noise levels and Improve air quality for properties nearthe existing A6 Shardlow Road.
• Protect the environment by minimising the effects of light, noise and airpollution on the adjacent properties and providing new ecology habitats toallow the local fauna and flora to flourish.
• Encourage regeneration of the area by enhancing the road access to southDerby from the A50 and the A52.

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Enhancing the Built Environment

The bypass alignment is close to 550 properties on the eastern side of Alvaston. Significant effort was dedicated to minimisingdisturbance to the nearby residents and to blending the new bypass into the local environment.

During construction Jackson Civil Engineering [JCE] employed a liaison officer and provided an information point giving anopportunity to locals to visit and discuss their concerns. JCE also built the earthen mound early in the contract period toprotect the local residents from the noise and disturbance of the construction works.

In addition noise insulation (secondary glazing) to offset the effects of construction was installed in 10 properties adjacentto the construction site.

The following features of the bypass design enhance the built environment and reduce the effects of the road on the localcommunity:

• The 3.5m high earthen mound
  
  The earthen mound minimises the effects of air, noise and light pollution on nearby residents. Extensive planting onthe earthen mound will aid the security of the properties on the edge of Alvaston and also provide a visual barrierfrom the road.
• The ecology area/tree avenues
  
  The scheme design includes an ecology area, which will be used by the local schools as a teaching resource. Pupilswill "travel through time" with planting in this area designed to reflect that of past ages. An avenue of semi-maturetrees will also be planted to enhance the road as a Gateway to Derby and link with Elvaston Castle and grounds.
• Additional cycle/pedestrian/equestrian routes
  
  The design provides improved facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians with a footpath and cycleway alongits entire length and a bridleway between Elvaston lane and Thulston Roundabout. Two lightweight bridges havebeen built to allow access across the road, between Alvaston and Elvaston Country Park.
  • Green Lane bridge
    

    Green Lane Bridge is a cable-supported footbridge, designed to allow pedestrian and cyclist access across the bypass at Green Lane. It is also designed as a &145;gateway&146; feature heralding the entrance into Derby.

  • Elvaston Lane bridge
    

    Elvaston Lane Bridge is a truss girder bridge that gives pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians access between Alvaston and Elvaston Country Park.

  • Thulston underpass
    

    Thulston underpass is an oversized underpass, to increase the safety of its users and allow equestrians to remain on horseback.

• Lighting/road surfacing
  

  The lighting and road surfacing have been designed to enhance the safety of the road, whilst minimising thedisruption to the surrounding area. The short (10m) high columns and full cut-off lanterns minimise light spillageoutside the confines of the carriageway. The road surfacing uses the latest technology to minimise noise.

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Respecting the Natural Environment

The bypass does not follow the line of any existing road, but passes through asection of ancient woodland and open heath land adjacent to the River Derwent. Tominimise the disturbance to the landscape every aspect of the scheme has beendesigned to reduce its impact on the local environment and wildlife.

Extensive Ecological Surveys were carried out in the year before works commenced.The surveys indicated that the route was home to colonies of GreatCrested Newts, as well as bats and birds. To mitigate against the loss of this habitatthe Highways Agency carried out advance work to relocate the habitats. This workranged from placing bat and bird boxes in Elvaston Castle&146;s grounds, to building anew pond for the Great Crested Newts a safe distance from the new road.

Further advance works successfully relocated more than 300 Great Crested Newtsto the purpose built pond next to the bypass, and established a thriving new colonyin ponds near to the A50. Approximately 1000 other amphibians of various specieswere also rescued and moved to new homes before the works commenced.

During construction Jackson Civil Engineering were very careful to minimise theeffect on the environment. They employed an ecologist to supervise the worksaffecting the natural environment. The Great Crested Newts and other amphibiansliving next to the scheme were protected throughout the building process by theprovision of a temporary amphibian fence preventing them from entering the site.

Other environmental mitigation measures, which have been provided duringconstruction include:

• The construction of a further 2 ponds to improvethe environment for the Great Crested Newts,amphibians and other wildlife in the area.
• The construction of 1.5km of badger and rabbitproof fencing to prevent animals getting onto thenew road.
• The provision of a number of scrapes and boggymarshareas to encourage the growth of thenative plant species.
• Planting of 2km of species-rich hedge along theeastern side of the bypass, to encourage nestingbirds.
• The planting of over 40,000 plants and trees tohelp blend the road into the natural and builtenvironment.

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Archaeology

The bypass was built on a green field site with potential for undisturbed archaeology to be discovered. To capture as muchinformation as possible the Highways Agency sponsored advanced archaeology investigations prior to the construction ofthe road, to determine the level of potential for archaeology.

During the construction Jackson Civil Engineering employed archaeologists to monitor any possible discoveries duringexcavations on site. These works showed that there was a only a minimal presence in the flood plain, with the only notablefind being the remains of a medieval fish trap.

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Facts and figures

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Partnering Statement

Led by the Highways Agency the partners in this project, Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick,Jackson Civil Engineering and URS have worked closely together to complete the bypassahead of schedule, and as promised, in time for Christmas.

The partnering agreement that was adopted draws on the individual strengths of eachorganisation to work effectively and efficiently to achieve our mutual goals.

The Police have been actively involved in designing the Traffic Management, and inoverseeing the site security. The Environment Agency, Derby City Council, DerbyshireCounty Council and other organisations have all actively participated in consultations.

The Highways Agency thanks all its partners for contributing to this successful venture,including Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick, Jackson Civil Engineering and URS, and for openingthe bypass ahead of schedule in time for Christmas 2003.