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Newsletter 1
A500 Basford, Hough, Shavington Bypass
Newsletter
The Need for the New Road
The A500 through Shavington and Hough forms part of the east/west route linking Chester and North Wales to the M6, the Potteries and North East Midlands. Being close to the urban areas of Crewe and Nantwich, the A500 through Shavington and Hough also caters for a large number of local journeys. The new bypass will greatly improve conditions for all road users and residents by removing about 80% of all traffic, including a large proportion of heavy goods vehicles, from the existing A500. The proposals also complement local, regional and national planning policies by creating opportunities for new employment areas north of the bypass alongside the West Coast Main Line railway and for integrating road and rail transport.
Recent Events
Contract awarded
The £28.2 million Design and Build contract for the construction of the bypass was awarded to John Mowlem & Company PLC on 16 March this year. The Wrexham based company Veryards Ltd will be acting as the Highways Agency's site representative to ensure that the requirements of the contract are satisfied. The works on site commenced at the beginning of June.
Clearance Works
Through the winter months you will no doubt have noticed a lot of advance work which has resulted in some tree felling and hedge removal. We had to do this to prevent disturbance to birds and bats in the nesting season. We regard it as a high priority of the scheme to replace wherever possible, the hedges and trees which we have had to take down and to ensure that these important habitats are
re-established once more after the road is built.
Foot and Mouth
The award of the contract came during the height of the Foot and Mouth crisis. This meant we were not able to begin work straight away. With the help of neighbouring landowners we have now established working practices that will minimise the risk of spreading the infection.
What Happens Now?
During the first few weeks of work the site compound will be set up near Crewe Alexandra's training ground on Crewe Road. Our access to the site will be from the A500 at each end of the bypass and from the north side of Rope Lane, Crewe Road and Main Road for the construction of the bridges. The first task will be to make the whole site secure by erecting fencing along the line of the bypass. There will be little of the works visible from the existing A500.
Our ecologists will then do a final survey of the site to check that there are no unforeseen issues concerning the wildlife along the bypass route. They will also ensure that Great Crested Newts, which are an endangered species, are safely excluded from the site. There will also be some ground investigation works involving trial pits and bore holes and trial piling at bridge locations which will enable our detailed design to be finalised.
Once we have a secure site our first task will be to commence works at the eastern abutment of the railway bridge and the Newcastle Road end of the site. This will then be followed by the stripping off of topsoil and earthworks operations. After about sixteen weeks into the work, Wybunbury Road will be closed so that we can start to build the bridge that will carry the footpath and cycleway over the new road. When work commences on Rope Lane, in October 2001 traffic lights will be installed for the safety of the local school children, the travelling public and the workforce.
Public Exhibition
A Public Exhibition will be held in the Village Hall, Shavington on:
- Monday 16th July between 5.30pm and 8.30pm;
- Tuesday 17th July between 10.30am and 8pm.
This will give you a chance to meet some of the key people who will be working on the scheme and talk to them about concerns you may have.
Who to Contact
If you would like to know any more about the bypass at any time we would be happy to talk to you.
Mowlem
Roger Powell
John Mowlem & Company PLC
A500 Project Office
Crewe Road, Shavington, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 5AH
Telephone : 01270 666195 fax: 01270 659161
Alternatively you can ring the Highways Agency Information Line on: 08457 50 40 30
Highways Agency
To speak to a member of the Highways Agency Project Team
Telephone : 08459 55 65 75 and ask for either John Atkinson (Project Administration)
or Bob Clark (Project Engineer)
Map of Works Location
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