Highways England ground investigations shaping £228m Mottram bypass build

Highways England ground investigations shaping £228m Mottram bypass build

Highways England has started ground and archaeological investigations for the new, £228 million bypass which will take traffic away from the village of Mottram in Longdendale.

The investigations will help refine the design of the new road with a planning application due to be submitted later this spring. If the plans are approved by the Government then work on the project could start by spring 2023.

The work, which began in February and will continue into May, includes bore holes and trial pits to assess underground conditions and small-scale archaeological digging.

Ryan Rawson, Highways England’s assistant project manager, said: “This is all about understanding ground conditions in locations along the route of the new bypass. We carried out some investigations in 2018 and we’re back looking at areas of specific interest we identified then which will help refine the final design of the project ahead of our application to the Planning Inspectorate to enable us to start construction in 2023.

“Archaeological surveys are also important to identify areas of particular interest and sensitivity and plan the construction accordingly.”

High Peak MP Robert Largan said: “Local people have been waiting for this bypass to be built for over 50 years. The sight of this investigatory ground work is really encouraging, as it is helping pave the way for actual construction to be able to start. I know local people will be excited by this progress and I’m grateful to Highways England for their diligence.”

Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds said: “I’m very pleased to hear activity has started on site. There are still several stages to go, but this is welcome progress towards getting what we have always deserved. This bypass will improve journey times across the region, air quality and quality of life in Mottram, and the whole Tameside economy. I hope the sight of this initial work commencing gives local people faith that change is finally coming.”

Around 25,000 vehicles currently travel along the A57 through Mottram every day, including over 2,000 HGVs. The village is on the key 25-mile trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield, connecting the M67 in the North West to the M1 in Yorkshire.

The new dual carriageway would run from the end of the M67 (junction 4) and through a new underpass to the north of Mottram in Longdendale. The road would then join the A57 east of the junction with the A6018 (Black Moor).

A new single carriageway road is also being planned to link the A57 from Mottram Moor to Woolley Bridge, taking traffic away from the current route of the A57 along Woolley Lane.

Elsewhere, work to improve the flow of traffic and increase capacity at Westwood roundabout in Tankersley, on the stretch of the Manchester to Sheffield route near the M1 in South Yorkshire, was completed at the start of March.

Highways England has widened the approach roads at the junction and added an extra lane on the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as installing traffic lights to help reduce congestion and make journeys more reliable.

Since October 2020 new infrastructure has been installed along the A57, A628 (Woodhead Pass), A61 and A616 to allow for new variable message signs to be installed to provide drivers with early warnings of closures due to bad weather or other incidents. This work is due to be complete in summer.