£1m project saves road from collapse
A ROAD which leads to a popular spot has reopened after a major operation to save it from collapse.
Dell Road, which provides direct access from Shawclough Road to the Healey Dell nature reserve, was closed following an inspection in February 2021 after more than 90 metres of tension cracks appeared.
A decision was made to fully close the road to vehicles to avoid a full collapse and the potential loss of the route forever.
Rochdale council invested £1 million to save the road, with large-scale works beginning in November 2021 by contractors F.W Sharratt Ltd. Now visitors can once again enjoy easy access to the nature reserve which is also home to Healey Dell Heritage Centre and tea rooms and Aunt Mary’s day nursery.
Councillor Daniel Meredith, portfolio holder for highways and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I would like to thank local residents and businesses for their patience while works were ongoing.
“The in-depth work undertaken on Dell Road has been a long process, with the bulk of it not actually visible to the naked eye, but now back open thanks to this investment, the road provides safe access for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and motorists.
“I encourage visitors to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings, which include the River Spodden, delightful scenery, an award-winning tea room, walking trails and spectacular waterfalls.” The full restoration programme saw the installation of 24 metres of deep retaining wall supported on cantilevered reinforced concrete foundations installed five metres below ground level. A further 60-metre mass concrete wall founded on bedrock at a shallower depth was also constructed.
Almost 200 large hand-filled gabion baskets filled with stone now line the road to help prevent further landslides and 200 metres of new underground drainage pipes and six highway gullies to ensure adequate drainage have been installed.
The newly-completed road was officially opened on Wednesday, October 26 by the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Ali Ahmed.
Mark Sherratt, director of FW Sherratt Ltd, added: “FW Sherratt Ltd were delighted to continue their working partnership with Rochdale Borough Council’s bridges and structures team to reconstruct the sections of Dell Road that were failing, thereby restoring access to the ever-popular Healey Dell.”