A1(M) Leeming - Barton

[wrinkly]

There have been loads of weekend night-time closures of the A1, many of them to instal traffic management. The latest press release has details of one on 21-22 March - but also, more interestingly, there's a longer one on 28-29 March, from 5pm Sat to 11pm Sun.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a1-f ... stallation

Installation of bridge beams is mentioned as a reason and though this is not specifically said to be the reason for the longer closure, it seems likely.

This raises the question, which bridge?

There are only three proposed bridges that cross the present A1 alignment. Two of them will carry the local access road at about 45 deg skew, one at Lords Lane midway between Leeming and Catterick and one north of Scotch Corner. The third, a bit further north again, is the replacement Kneeton Hall access bridge.

It can't be either of the last two as their abutments aren't started yet. If it's Lords Lane then the abutments are there but there's no central pier yet. If it's to be a single span bridge then it must be a pretty long span.

[A691(M)]

According to this report,

http://tinyurl.com/p38qftc


The new overbridge will be a 2 span steel composite overbridge that carries a minor road over the proposed A1(M) at a skew angle of 50 degrees. Each span will be 41 m and the bridge deck will consist of steel beams supporting a concrete deck slab. Over structures the NMU verges will consist of a pavement of a minimum width of 3.0 m for use by pedestrians and equestrians as well as a 1.8 m high equestrian style parapet to ensure equestrian safety.

[wrinkly]

A 2-span bridge is what I would have expected, so how can they be placing beams with no pier yet built?

[A691(M)]

Construction at Lord Lane, looks to be at a stop, was yesterday and today, however even if this was to be a single span, the existing A1 would need to be lowered to enable HGV to pass under. Someone else on the forum has stated that the beams are in place over Bridge Road and Station Road, with only the beams to be placed at Tunstall Road been on the new A1(M) section, the only other place I can think they need to place beams is the crossing of the River Swale, but can't see any sign of bridge supports yet.

The only other possibility is that we are about to get diverted under the new Catterick Central Junction, via the temporary link been put in place. Lot of work taking place there the last couple of days.

[wrinkly]

Someone else on the forum has stated that the beams are in place over Bridge Road and Station Road,

That was me. One of them had beams in place when I was there on 1 March and the other may have been placed by now or will be soon, but that surely wouldn't require an A1 closure.

with only the beams to be placed at Tunstall Road been on the new A1(M) section, the only other place I can think they need to place beams is the crossing of the River Swale, but can't see any sign of bridge supports yet.

Once again wouldn't require an A1 closure.

The only other possibility is that we are about to get diverted under the new Catterick Central Junction, via the temporary link been put in place. Lot of work taking place there the last couple of days.

That would be very interesting but wouldn't explain why the press notice refers to placing beams. I think that's probably an error. Time will tell.

[danross83]

Tarmac going down on the new sb carriageway South of scotch corner.....

[A691(M)]

Noticed the Tarmac going down this morning, along with more concrete central reservation between Scotch Corner and Barton while I was heading southbound. Coming back northbound, the accommodation bridge just north of Leases Lane, is starting to come into view. Site clearance ongoing and fencing is going up between Lords Lane and Leeming on the southbound, while northbound widening the existing carriageway, local access road construction and just after Lords Lane, drainage installation taking place on the what will be the new section of motorway.

Update from Highways Agency, On Monday 16 March until Friday 20 March 2015 there will be full overnight closures of the A1 and A1 (M) northbound between junction 56 (Barton) and Scotch Corner. In addition the southbound exit slip at Catterick North will be closed overnight on Tuesday 17 March 2015.

[wrinkly]

the accommodation bridge just north of Leases Lane, is starting to come into view.

Glad to hear that. I've been watching and waiting for it.

When the first version of the construction timetable went up on the HA's scheme page, it led me to conclude that a long stretch of the main northbound carriageway from maybe the Lords Lane area to the racecourse would be built early and a contraflow put on it. That would have probably required the accommodation bridge to be well advanced, and the Catterick South bridge to be carrying traffic.

The timetable now shown is less ambitious, and it seems the only bits of main carriageway to be trafficked early will be the northbound under Catterick Central junction, and the southbound from Scotch Corner to Catterick North, both eventually with contraflows.

[wrinkly]

This weekend's proposed A1 closure has been reduced from 30 to 16 hours and the reason for it clarified. Beams are to be placed alongside the present A1, not across it, to widen the bridge over the river Swale.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driv ... -yorkshire

A windy weekend is forecast, I hope that doesn't prevent the lift.

[wrinkly]

I was in the area this afternoon. When I left there was only about an hour to go to the closure. There were signs about the closure, but no workers or cranes near the river bridge as far as I could see.

Both B roads at Brompton-on-S are open and the beams for the bridges over both are in place.

The central pier of the LAR bridge north of Scotch Corner looks finished and the NE abutment is under construction. Several stretches of concrete central barrier are in place between SC and Barton but by no means all, so it's slightly surprising that the hard shoulder running has ended and the lanes are in more or less the usual place, though narrow.

There's also a stretch of concrete barrier on the new alignment south of SC, and several stretches of drainage channel.

Scurragh House Lane still not connected.

[wrinkly]

Going north from Leeming a substantial length of the LAR is now nearly finished. I drove along it for about half a mile before being talked to by a security man and volunteering, before I was told, to turn back. There was quite a distance nearly finished ahead of me.

The beams are in place for the new overbridge west of Catterick South junction.

Excavation is apparently beginning for the west abutment of the replacement Kneeton Hall overbridge.

The new side road southward down the east side of the works from Scotch Corner/Middleton Tyas still isn't connected to Scurragh House Lane. It was supposed to be by now.

It will be quite a while yet before any A1 traffic is diverted onto any of the new works. Preparations are in evidence at several places but lots of obstacles are still also in evidence.

[danross83]

The northbound night closures this week coming are for crossover preparation works

[Mikeg]

Southbound exit slip to A6136 is closed. Not sure if this is permanent?

[wrinkly]

No, it's supposed to be from 2 May to 6 June according to the website.

[Mikeg]

No, it's supposed to be from 2 May to 6 June according to the website.

Yes I saw the sign this morning properly. Closed for 6 weeks.

[wrinkly]

The southernmost 0.9 miles of the LAR is now open for access to the house or farm known as Little Holtby.

Some blacktop on the new main carriageways is visible from Tunstall Road, Catterick.

[Mikeg]

Was there today. Work now in evidence on the central pier of the new bridge west of Catterick South with a grove of tall rebar.

Where the two B roads go under at Brompton-on-Swale, the south abutment of the south bridge is looking finished, with formwork and scaffolding removed. A closure of the north B road lasting several weeks is coming up.

Going north on the A1 approaching Catterick Central junction, a road diverging to the left is under construction. I think it's in the wrong place to be part of the permanent works so I think it's for a temporary diversion. It looks like northbound A1 traffic will in the not too distant future be diverted under the new junction bridge. Not clear why - it seems not very helpful unless southbound is diverted too, and the temporary link looks too narrow for that.

I have a theory but it's convoluted so I'll wait and see if it's right.

Blacktop going down this afternoon on the diverging road and you can see the main line is already well underway behind it. Still a fair bit of work to do north of the new junction before it can be used as a temporary diversion though.

[wrinkly]

I think there were some lower courses of blacktop on the diverging road when I passed on Saturday.

[A691(M)]

Drove down through the works this morning and noticed that Northbound the old carriageway is no longer in use through Lords Lane Bridge with traffic using what will become the new hard shoulder and lane one of motorway. On my return trip this evening this was confirmed. I expect in the next few weeks for the same to take place Southbound, to enable the central support to be built. North of Scotch Corner, the Eastern, Central supports of the new bridge are in place, with the Western one started to be constructed.

[Mikeg]

Quite a lot of central barrier has gone up at Catterick Central