A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Runwell
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Passed through this evening (with valid reasons). Looks like, over the weekend, they have installed the first parts of the new bridge for the western span of the Orsett Cock junction. Looks like they have gone for a ladder deck, which answers my query as to how they would potentially install the bridge whilst work to the rebar was still ongoing.

I'd guess this weekend they will be installing the ladder deck for the eastern span of the Orsett roundabout?
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RichardA35
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

To be strictly correct, it's not a ladder deck where there are secondary girders between the main girders to support the composite deck but just 3 braced pairs that the deck spans between, that are also integral at the abutments, hence why they look incomplete. Saffron Gardens, however, will be a ladder deck but you'll have to wait a couple more weeks for that.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Thank you. That makes a bit more sense now. The design looked a lot clearer as I used the Orsett roundabout this evening. Looks like they were getting ready to lift in to place the structure for the eastbound bridge over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Saffron Gardens bridge, I presume, will be lifted in next weekend, as the section between Stanford to Orsett is due to be shut, and the abutments now appear to be complete, as far as the actual structures are concerned.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Runwell
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Passed through here for the first time in a while, a couple of hours ago.

Bridges now all in place. Work in progress on the decks and parapets at the new structures at Orsett Cock. Work on the new drainage underway through the junction. On the roundabout, starting to see the outline of the new configuration taking shape, although still in its very early stages. Looks like it won't be long until the tarmac goes down on the widened eastbound exit and entry slips at Orsett. Seems there won't be as big a slope I was expected for the westbound exit at Orsett, with the works on the new embankment seemingly complete and a bridleway realigned at the top of it. According to the recent update, looks like the new bridges will be up and running by late Autumn, with the existing bridges demolished soon after.

No other significant visible moves forward elsewhere, although looks like most of the drainage work between Orsett and Stanford is now done. However, it does look like they are pushing to finish work on the Horndon Road footbridge. A weekend closure for the Orsett to Stanford section is scheduled for the first weekend in September, which, unless it's to put more drainage channels under the road, will be to pull the old bridge down.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Runwell
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Progress seems to be very slow here, despite a project that seems to have had almost as many weekend closures as the A14.

Went through yesterday morning at about 11am, and only saw one works vehicle on the construction site. No doubt some more people at the site compound, but surprised how little was going on?

The Horndon Road footbridge was supposed to come down by the end of the summer. They still appear to be working on the abutments for the new footbridge. At this rate they might struggle to resolve this by November.

No sign of any work taking place at Orsett Cock. Hard to tell from a distance how far works on the new bridge decks have progressed, but little to no work looks to have taken place since the last update on reconfiguring the roundabout itself. Their aim to have the new bridges in use and the old ones down by the end of Autumn looks a long way off at the moment.

Work has started on building the abutments to the Saffron Gardens bridge, whilst it does at least look like they are starting to install the sub base on a couple of short sections.

Overall though, progress seems very slow with the winter months approaching as well. There's already reports this project may overrun in to 2022.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Perhaps some progress at last on this scheme as I combined an essential journey with an hour's walking.

Tarmac now going down by the westbound section from around the Stanford-le-Hope entry, up to or close to the Orsett Cock services. Lots of vehicles then working (though not at 5pm on a Saturday) on the approach to the A128 exit as well.

Difficult to tell in the dark but the parapet work on the most westerly new bridge appears complete, so the other shouldn't be far behind. Doesn't appear much other visible work has taken place on the roundabout itself since early October, so despite the initial hopes the new bridges would be in use by the end of Autumn, I can't see that happening now this year.

And on the subject of delays, despite the (still not updated) summer progress report expecting this to be demolished before the start of Autumn, the existing Horndon Road footbridge remains in use. Work still going on to the new bridge, and on the diverted approaches to it. Again, I'm wondering if the old bridge will remain now in to 2021?

Here's a photo looking westwards from the current Horndon Road bridge.
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Runwell
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Passing through on Tuesday, more and more tarmac going down on the widened sections now.

If anything, it's the eastbound section that is looking more developed.
From a point a quarter of a mile past the A128 on-slip, there's a section up to the exit for the services where most of the surface for the widened section is down, plus the kerbing as well has been going in. The new kerbs for the exit to the services are in place, although the tarmac is yet to go down at that specific point.
What I didn't realise is the entry from the services will be a few yards further on than it currently is, and a much smoother entry than the existing layout. It looks like the works to this new A13(E) entry are complete, as they've put concrete blocks down across that corner of the service station. Not sure whether the service station itself is going to need to be reconfigured, as the new layout would suggest vehicles would have to go round the back of the forecourt shop to smoothly join the new slip road on to the A13? Currently, round the back of the shop is where all the HGV pumps are.
From there, looks like there's a good deal of tarmac now down from the services, under the new Saffron Gardens bridge - where work on the abutments looks well on the way to completion - up to a point just before the existing Horndon Road footbridge.

Westbound probably less advanced atm, but not too far behind I'd say. Tarmac starts just after the entry from the A1014, briefly up to the current Horndon Road footbridge. It then starts again just after the existing footbridge for several hundred yards until around the Saffron Gardens bridge. Work looks less advanced after that up to the services, but I'm wondering if they will be putting a contraflow in along that section very soon to push on with the work around the services, as it's a little cramped there, and work on the opposite carriageway as mentioned looks rather more advanced. Does look like the widened approach to the A128 exit is about to see tarmac go down as well.

On the A128 Orsett Cock roundabout, structural work to the bridges looks to be pretty much complete, bar a few bits of pouring to the easternmost bridge. . Backfill works have more or less been completed to the westernmost bridge. No obvious works taking place yet to the new layout of the roundabout.
Most work on the retaining wall on the eastbound entry at Orsett looks complete, so hopefully they will start to formulate the road there in January. Some work carried out recently on the eastbound exit at Orsett, with the widened space looking close to tarmac going down.

Horndon Road footbridge taking an age to sort out, given the last news bulletin in summer (no wonder they haven't provided an update!) proclaimed the new one would be open and old one demolished by the end of the summer! The kerbing for the approaches and base layers to the path have been installed, but they haven't done the tie-in works to the existing footway, including final surfacing. Still some scaffolding up on the walls of the new bridge, so it looks like it may be a few weeks yet before it's ready to open. Looks like sections of the A13 are pushing on either side of the bridge so this appears to be holding things up.

Hopefully by February, some of the new sections will be in use. Hard to believe when the main works started 21 months ago, it was meant to be finished by now!
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Winter update on the scheme from Thurrock Council (includes photos) https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/a13-roadwor ... pening-now
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Further delays to the scheme. Even Spring 2022 is looking optimistic. https://thurrock.nub.news/n/call-for-in ... PLzhF2FOO0
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Meanwhile, here and now, a little bit of progress over the weekend.

Following a weekend closure, eastbound traffic is now using part of a short section of the new carriageway, either side of the Orsett Cock services. Traffic moved on to the new section (although not the full width of it) from soon after the A128 on slip, to around the new Saffron Gardens bridge. The exit from the BP service station is now no more, and traffic is now being funnelled through a bit of an awkward temporary give way layout to tankers using the refuelling at the back of the garage. Not sure if the HGV area will be resituated in time and the exit from the garage to go round the back of the garage not the side?
Westbound remains unchanged, though I presume they will soon be moving traffic on to part of the old eastbound carriageway at the same area, in order to push on with work around the cramped section for the westbound services, which is some way behind the other widened areas and hasn't seen any significant work this far?

Looks like the widened westbound approach to the A128 and the widened edges of the eastbound exit and entry slip roads aren't too many weeks from being ready for business. The Stanford-le-Hope end also starting to come together, slowly.

Looks like a lot of gas main diversion works currently taking place at the Orsett Cock roundabout. Hope this is the last utilities disruption, so that work on the new junction can start pushing on?

Meanwhile the new Horndon Road footbridge is due to open any day now. Noticed when I went under it earlier that the streetlights on the approaches to the new bridge were now installed and switched on, so it must be close to completion? From a distance it looked near enough complete including fencing and barriers. The old bridge is due to be demolished next weekend. That will hopefully enable the full widening work on the stretch between the two junctions to push on.
Last edited by Runwell on Sun Mar 14, 2021 01:39, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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A hospital appointment saw me head the way of the works site today.

Last weekend, a week after the new Horndon bridge finally opened, the old one was pulled down. Hopefully full speed ahead now for widening the Stanford to Orsett section.

Driving through today, eastbound traffic is now using much more of the new carriageway, although not the extremities of it just yet. The on slip from the A128 has partially been moved on to the new alignment, whilst the eastbound A13 has now been moved on to part of the new alignment from just after the merge point, up until a point just before the new Horndon bridge.

Looks like it may not be long until eastbound traffic is using the widened alignment in full. Barriers and lighting columns are being installed, and much of the surface is now down, including on the A128 on slip. The only areas still some way behind are around the Horndon bridge, then approaching the A1014 exit. However, work is now pushing on in those areas (especially with the old bridge now gone), so in a few weeks, the widened end of the road might be fully in use?

Lighting and barriers also going in westbound past the Horndon bridge, although the section from the Saffron Gardens bridge to the Orsett services is still some way behind. May well be this work will push on once the widened eastbound section is fully in use, so they can put a contraflow in? Past the services though, work has stepped up beside the on slip from the services, whilst the approach to the A128 is largely complete in terms of lighting and surfacing, although still some work to do to complete on the exit slip road, but given two weekend closures are scheduled after Easter for the westbound A13, this section may be in use by mid-April? Back at the A1014 end, from around the end of the entry slip road, quite a bit of work going on, with final surfacing works looking imminent.

Not much development with the Orsett Cock roundabout since the last update, although the eastbound exit slip for the A128 looks close to having the widened section completed. That forms part of the NW quadrant of the roundabout, which is the one part of the junction that is coming together. Some kerbing already in place for what looks like a future left turn lane on to the Brentwood-bound A128. Apparently there are still issues with utilities three some two years in to the main works, so it may still be a while before other parts of the roundabout begins to take shape.

A13 is shut this weekend from the A1089 to the A128. The eastbound gantry just prior to the A128 has been removed during the course of the weekend.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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Had a look at the site at the weekend during a full closure of the A13, and had a drive along the actual road this evening.

As of today, apart from a few little finishing touches, the widened section of the eastbound carriageway is now being fully utilised, starting from and including the on ramp from the A128. They are still finishing the last few yards at the A1014 exit, but that shouldn't take too long to finish.

Westbound is also coming along, and work is nearly complete on the widened edges here, with barriers and lighting in place on many areas, plus the temporary road surface. Area from the Saffron Gardens bridge to the Orsett Cock services remains behind everything else, but even there, the kerbing is now in place for the new alignment to exit for the services. I presume the exit from the services will start being heavily modified, once the new entry to the services is complete? I don't think it will be too long until all work shifts to the central reservation.

Orsett Cock A128 roundabout hasn't really changed since the last update, though work is focused on the western end of the roundabout at the moment. Next week sees a lane closure on the roundabout all weekend, but even after that, the new junction will still look a long way off completion

Some heavily cropped photos from the weekend from the new Horndon Road footbridge - looking towards Basildon and Southend with the first, whilst the other is facing London.
DSC09415 (7).JPG
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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And since last Monday's update, as of Monday just gone, the widened edges of the westbound carriageway are now in use for most of the length of the A1014 to A128 section. All in use up to the approach to the Orsett Cock services, where the new access road is still under construction, but doesn't look too far off now. The reprofiling of the exit from the services is still ongoing, although the retaining wall looks to be complete. The A13 westbound then briefly moves back on to the new section, before swerving back in to its current alignment at the exit for the A128, where work on the new widened part of the slip road and its approach are still ongoing.

Eastbound still isn't quite finished at the exit for the A1014. Otherwise the widened section of road is largely complete, but for a few snagging jobs which will probably be done mostly near the end of the project.

Work has now largely shifted to the central reservation, and already large chunks of it have been ripped out in recent days.

The abutments and walls for the Saffron Gardens bridge look complete, and work on the approach roads either side looks well advanced, so not too long hopefully before another vantage point is available again.

Starting to see the beginning of the new road appearing in the middle of the existing Orsett Cock roundabout, although it's on the western side of the current roundabout where work is most advanced. It's down to one lane all weekend around the roundabout, so not sure if they will starting to remove the existing roundabout kerbing or if they are going to start to add the crossover points, but it suggests a big step up in work along there, at last.

Here's some photos of the A13 during another weekend closure last week, and the new service station access road westbound.
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jackal
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by jackal »

It looks almost wide enough to be four lane - it's only three isn't it?
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Yes it will be three lanes. This photo was taken from Horndon Bridge, where I understand there will be a large asphalted area beside the main central reservation when complete - presumably for drainage purposes, as no sight line issues at this point?
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by jackal »

Thanks, I can see the central reservation gets wide there on the plan in the OP. Not sure why.

I wonder what level of coordination there is with the LTC? The tie in west of Orsett Cock will be dramatically different:

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/cdn-cgi/ ... g.1316140/
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RichardA35
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

jackal wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:40 Thanks, I can see the central reservation gets wide there on the plan in the OP. Not sure why.
Westbound forward visibility
jackal wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:40 I wonder what level of coordination there is with the LTC? The tie in west of Orsett Cock will be dramatically different.
None - different clients
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Ah, so it was visibility. I was looking at it from an eastbound POV, so overlooked westbound. Thank you.
jackal wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:40

I wonder what level of coordination there is with the LTC? The tie in west of Orsett Cock will be dramatically different:

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/cdn-cgi/ ... g.1316140/
This weekend they are closing the exit slip eastbound at Orsett Cock, so they can finally move traffic on to the new section of slip road. Then they can start fully connecting that arm of the roundabout to one of the two new bridges, and to begin cutting in to the embankment to start preparing the third lane for the A13 through the junction. The tie in work shouldn't be too complex, and by Monday the first signs of the future layout at the eastbound exit should look evident. They pulled down the gantry approaching Orsett a few weeks ago, with no other significant work to do prior to the junction, except for new signage and markings when complete.
Westbound they have already started putting tarmac down for part of the widened A13 before the on-slip merge. They've been cutting in to the steep embankment on that side and soil nailed the slopes, though that slip road isn't on the move just yet.
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