Following a number of enquiries recently about apparent delays to the ongoing roadworks on the A1086 between Blackhall Colliery and Horden we asked this morning for an update from the highways department.
To avoid confusion (and because we don't understand some of the technical terms) we have reproduced the response in full below:
Site Investigation works associated with the slip
finished on site 1/08/2013. Unfortunately, the SI had been delayed and
overrun as a consequence of Northern Gas Networks identifying a number of leaks
of the medium pressure gas main in the road. Concentrations of gas in the
ground had been recorded as high and the original programmed start of the SI
drilling was prevented by NGN. NGN works were blocking access for the SI – so
this was the situation and cause of delays.
Currently, the situation is that the vertical
scarp of the land slip (approximately 3m height) is at the immediate back of
the 1m wide verge to the kerbline of the northbound lane and the Dene bottom is
some 30 metres below. The nature of the ground/slip is
influenced very much by weather and soil saturation. Regards the traffic
management and temporary traffic lights on the A1086, whilst the SI works are
now complete, they need to remain in place until such time that the
culvert and landslip have been repaired and reinstated.
We will look to see if
we can modify the traffic management to open two way lanes without the need for
lights.
