Years of Coventry Ring Road delays expected during desperately-needed repair work

[dutchman]

More than £6million has been allocated to revamp the stretch of road between junctions one (Foleshill Road) and junction four (London Road)



Drivers will face months of city centre disruption after the first phase of desperately needed repair work to Coventry’s crumbling ring road was signed off.

More than £6million has been allocated to revamp the stretch of the ring road between junctions one (Foleshill Road) and junction four (London Road).

The area, known as the Swanswell Viaduct, is in desperate need of repair according to a report to Coventry City Council’s cabinet.

According to the report a structural assessment was carried out in 1992 and the most urgent work has routinely been carried out as part of the council’s regular maintenance procedures.

But the root causes of many of the problems have not been resolved and this latest scheme aims to address those issues including supporting elements, parapet repairs and waterproofing work.

The urgency of the work was underlined in a cabinet report which reads: “Further deterioration of the structure could result in a closure or having lane closures or weight restrictions applied between junctions one and four, causing significant congestion across the city.”

Coventry City Council has secured £5.5million of funding from the Department for Transport for the first phase of the work and will contribute £550,000 from local funds.

That phase, which will focus on the area around Gosford Street, has now been signed off by the council’s cabinet.

Council officials say traffic disruption will be inevitable as design work gets underway this month with construction work due to start in early 2017 and run until around March 2018.

Phase two of the repair work will focus on the stretch of the ring road towards Foleshill Road but will require more external funding.

If the council is successful in securing the necessary cash, work on the second phase would start after phase one is completed - which would mean months of more delays.

A spokesman for Coventry council said: “During the construction phases there will be traffic management in place however, as yet the extent of this is to be determined.

“The council is working closely with the consultant to design a scheme that can be built in the most efficient way possible. Where possible elements will be cast off-site and installed on the bridge to reduce timescales.

“However, until a contractor is appointed and the details agreed, the full impact of the works on the network cannot be confirmed.”

Asked why the root causes of problems have not been addressed since 1992 and if the road was considered safe, the spokesman said: “Lack of funding has meant works could not be carried out sooner. The works are too large to be funded through the annual maintenance budget.

“The city council would not allow the bridge to remain open to traffic if it was felt there was any possibility of danger to the public.

“However, the bridge was designed to the standards at the time of construction and some features are not to current standards. The scheme looks to address these issues and prolong the life of the structure.”

Asked how long the ring road could remain open without the repair work, they added: “If the funding bid wasn’t successful, then the annual maintenance budget would have been used to keep on top of the essential maintenance.

“As such it is not possible to confirm a date at which point the structure would no longer be serviceable. It is important to note that since 1992 Coventry City Council have been carrying out regular inspections and monitoring of the structure as it does for all bridge assets.

“Any elements in need of repair have been and will continue to be repaired regardless of external funding awards.”

[Melisandre]

I would pull it all down if that was me.

[dutchman]

Expect delays until March! Work starts on £6m ring-road repair scheme



Work is set to start on major repairs to Coventry’s crumbling ring-road.

Drivers have been warned to expect up to nine months of delays during the £6million scheme which starts on Thursday, June 29.

It will see repairs to the stretch known as the Swanswell Viaduct between junctions one (Foleshill Road) and junction three (Sky Blue Way/Gosford Street).

This first phase of work will upgrade the parapets and replace the existing waterproofing, surfacing, movement joints and fascia panels, and will take until March next year to complete.

A Coventry City Council spokesman said: “Swanswell Viaduct forms almost a third of Coventry’s Ring Road extending from the Foleshill Road to almost the London Road.

“The structure was built in the 1960s and certain elements need work to bring them up to standard.”

The urgency of the work was underlined in a cabinet report which said: “Further deterioration of the structure could result in a closure or having lane closures or weight restrictions applied between junctions one and four, causing significant congestion across the city.”

Coventry City Council has secured £5.5million of funding from the Department for Transport for the first phase of the work and will contribute £550,000 from local funds.

A council spokesman previously said: “During the construction phases there will be traffic management in place however, as yet the extent of this is to be determined.

“The council is working closely with the consultant to design a scheme that can be built in the most efficient way possible.

“Where possible elements will be cast off-site and installed on the bridge to reduce timescales.”

Asked if the road was considered safe, the council said: “The city council would not allow the bridge to remain open to traffic if it was felt there was any possibility of danger to the public.

“However, the bridge was designed to the standards at the time of construction and some features are not to current standards.

“The scheme looks to address these issues and prolong the life of the structure.”