Road to success Old A40 reopens thanks to some ‘smart thinking’
THE old A40 road near Northleach has been repaired by Gloucestershire County Council after a creative solution to fix it was found.
Also known as Prison Copse Wall, the road was closed in autumn 2015 because of damage caused to the wall supporting the highway and cracks appearing in the carriageway.
The cost of repairs was estimated at more than £800,000.
However, work on the A38 canal bridges project at Whitminster has provided a creative solution to prevent further movement of the retaining wall and risk of landslips.
Spoil from the canal excavations was transported to Northleach and used to strengthen the wall and fill in the land beside it to provide support.
Preparations included the installation of extensive land drainage and the deposit of 15,000 cubic metres of clay to provide solid support for the wall along a 60m stretch.
This has enabled savings of £700,000 to be made and has meant that the carriageway could be fully reconstructed.
The 2.5-mile link road, which connects the A40 with the A429, reopened to two-way traffic on November 19.
Mark Darlow-joy, highways contract manager at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The reuse of this material from the Cotswold canals scheme for the stabilisation of a failing retaining wall and reopening of a road closed for five years is a perfect example of where smart thinking can provide a huge gain for all. It’s a win win!”
Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “This is a smart money-saving solution that has enabled the old A40 to be reopened. It’s great to see the spoil from the A38 canals project used in such an innovative way, and I’d like to thank our highways engineers for all the hard work they have put in to achieve this.”
Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, county councillor for Bourton-on-the-water and Northleach, said: “After all the lobbying it is really great to see the old A40 back in full use again.
“Thanks from me to the 500 people who signed the petition to reopen this road and to highways for their hard work in making it safe. It shows that patience and persistence pay off in the end.”