A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

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RichardA35
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

Bryn666 wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2019 01:28 It's interesting to see the bridge being nibbled at to bring it down. Once upon a time would this have been brought down with controlled explosions as happened on the M5 or is that trick now frowned upon?
36" transmission main under the south abutment precluded this method as there could have been a second, much larger, explosion.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Bryn666 »

That covers that one nicely then! :o
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by darkcape »

Also using explosives is generally more hassle requiring greater police involvement. Also not great publicity. The last two schemes I did bridge demos the contract explicitly stated explosives couldn't be used due to proximity of residential areas.

The last bridge to be blown up was the M6 at M1 J19 I believe?
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Runwell
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Work seems to be progressing quite well. Construction work on the Horndon Road bridge abutments already well underway.

Weekend closures at the moment on the A13 at the Orsett Cock junction to progress with piling work on the new bridges for the junction.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Well I thought it looked to be progressing well. However Thurrock Council are now saying the project is up to a year behind, and may not be complete now until well in to 2021. Utilities are cited, though my understanding was most of the utilities work was complete?
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by roadphotos »

I heard that they had gone way over budget and had already ran out of money on this widening scheme and are now applying for more funds to complete the job
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Sounds like it wasn't just the budget that was the issue. Issues like safety concerns were also mentioned.

Several more weekend closures coming up over the next few weeks on the A13. These latest ones appear this time to be between Stanford and Orsett, unlike the Autumn ones at the Orsett junction, so much more disruption likely. Looks like, at least next weekend, it's for utilities works across the road. Reading the contingency measures taken in the surrounding villages and areas to avoid carnage during these closures is interesting.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Bridge deck has arrived for the new Horndon Road structure. Piers look almost complete, but looks like the backfill works are still required.

Pier walls for the Orsett Cock junction look more or less complete, but still shrouded in scaffolding.

Coming towards the end of a run of overnight and weekend closures. Looks like the next set are for the end of May/early June, which presumably are for the installation of the new Orsett Cock bridges, and demolition of the old ones?
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RichardA35
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

Runwell wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 16:16 Bridge deck has arrived for the new Horndon Road structure. Piers look almost complete, but looks like the backfill works are still required.
The bridge superstructure was lifted into place this weekend.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by jackal »

From the RIS2 document:
We are currently in discussion with the
relevant local highway authorities and
Highways England with a view to making
some changes during RP2. In all cases this
will require agreement about the precise
extent of the change, and the completion of
assessments of road condition, drainage,
and so forth so that the receiving authorities
are aware of the detailed nature of the assets
they are gaining before we can proceed with
the statutory processes. These are:

● Trunking: The A453 from the M1 to East
Midlands Airport (the UK’s second
busiest airport for freight traffic), and the
A13/A1014 from the end of the trunked
A13 through to the recently-opened
London Gateway Port, with a view to
transfer to Highways England.
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RichardA35
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

jackal wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 22:17 From the RIS2 document:
..
● Trunking: The A453 the M1 to East
Midlands Airport (the UK’s second
busiest airport for freight traffic), and the
A13/A1014 from the end of the trunked
A13 through to the recently-opened
London Gateway Port, with a view to
transfer to Highways England.
Indeed - the natural conclusion to studies from about 2018 regarding port and airport connectivity and nice to see policy following the evidence from the studies.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

That will leave a strange situation, with Thurrock Council then just responsible for maintaining the two and half mile section of the A13 from Stanford-le-Hope to Basildon, before Essex takes over!

Some pictures of the new Horndon Road bridge in place yesterday https://twitter.com/BTPJoe/status/12392 ... 23968?s=19
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Bryn666 »

Runwell wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 09:09 That will leave a strange situation, with Thurrock Council then just responsible for maintaining the two and half mile section of the A13 from Stanford-le-Hope to Basildon, before Essex takes over!

Some pictures of the new Horndon Road bridge in place yesterday https://twitter.com/BTPJoe/status/12392 ... 23968?s=19
https://www.instagram.com/britonfabricatorsltd/
Highly likely some agreement will be reached for Essex to maintain that length on behalf of Thurrock.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Had to pass through the works zone earlier this week. Work seems to be ongoing. However, it doesn't appear to be progressing at that much of a pace - whether that's down to social distancing measures is unclear.

Work on the central piers at Orsett looks to be complete. Still lots of work to do on the abutments for the new bridges - ones on the west side of the junction had seen some pouring of concrete, but the ones on the east side look some way behind. Not seen any significant work on the roundabout itself for what will be the new layout for when the new bridges are put in to use. I note the weekend closures have now been revised, with one seemingly added for the Orsett junction (A13 closed) in a fortnight's time, with two more on consecutive weekends a fortnight later. Not really sure what the first one will be for, as I can't imagine either of the two new bridges will be able to be lifted in to place by the middle of the month?

The rest of the scheme looks to be going OK. Looks like they are about to start constructing the widened sections of A13 very shortly as ground works look to be largely complete. Still works to do to complete work on the new Horndon Road bridge. I would assume the weekend closure for the Stanford to Orsett section in mid-June is to pull down the old bridge? Also noted how steep the westbound exit is going to be once complete - already a fair amount of soil nailing taking place there. Starting to see some work now to create the abutments for the new Saffron Gardens farm bridge.

Hopefully this month, safety permitting, things will look visibly much more advanced on the overall scheme. It would be nice if the scheme progress had been updated (it hasn't been for about six months), although it won't be at the top of Thurrock Council's priority right now for obvious reasons.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

And the update is here. Pretty sure those pictures are from a few weeks ago, as things had advanced a bit more at Saffron Gardens when I passed through https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/a13-roadwor ... pening-now
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

Looks as if the project completion date has now been put back twelve months. Project has gone way over budget, plus numerous issues including the usual unforeseen utility ones.

Meanwhile, after last weekend's A13 closure at Orsett to do further work to the new bridge piers, the first of the two new bridges appears to be set to arrive at some point next week, with the first of the two new bridges set to be lifted in to place next weekend. Passing through on Monday, still seemed like the two new northern abutments at Orsett needed concrete pour to some of the rebar, although the southern abutments looked more or less done.
I would assume the closure for the first weekend in June will be to lift the second bridge in to place?

Looks like they will be pouring over the rebar soon for the northern abutment for the new Saffron Gardens farm bridge. The southern one looks at least structurally complete. Would guess the A13 closure for the second weekend in June will be to lift that bridge in to place, with the closure for the weekend after that to be for the demolition of the currently used Horndon Road bridge (still work taking place on the new abutments)?
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Chris5156 »

Runwell wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 23:31 Looks as if the project completion date has now been put back twelve months. Project has gone way over budget, plus numerous issues including the usual unforeseen utility ones.
Doesn’t sound like Essex CC have made great leaps forward in project management since the Sadlers Farm debacle!
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by RichardA35 »

Chris5156 wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 23:39
Runwell wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 23:31 Looks as if the project completion date has now been put back twelve months. Project has gone way over budget, plus numerous issues including the usual unforeseen utility ones.
Doesn’t sound like Essex CC have made great leaps forward in project management since the Sadlers Farm debacle!
It's a Thurrock Council scheme.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Chris5156 »

RichardA35 wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 05:37
Chris5156 wrote: Fri May 22, 2020 23:39Doesn’t sound like Essex CC have made great leaps forward in project management since the Sadlers Farm debacle!
It's a Thurrock Council scheme.
Happy to stand corrected. Seems a shame that part of the country has suffered such long overruns on these two adjacent schemes.
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Re: A13 Stanford-le-Hope Bypass Widening

Post by Runwell »

The Sadlers Farm debacle isn't even over yet. In the rush to get the project 'fully open' for the 2012 Olympics (then having to return for many months afterwards to complete finishing work), they since had to return in late 2017 to do more remedial work on almost every part of the scheme to that previously carried out, which ended up taking another two years to sort out - the A13/A130 link road was down to one lane for 18 months whilst they carried out full drainage reconstruction work to the retaining walls. Even then they had to return for three weeks at the end of Winter to do more work on the link roads, and during the (as would be anyway) six week summer break, they are doing more reconstruction work to the bridges over the link roads. It's been almost constant work for the past decade.
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