M62 motorway, Rochdale to be closed overnight for Bridge demoltion

Date published: 24/07/2006

Explosive experts are being brought in to demolish a redundant bridge over the M62 motorway.

A new bridge has been built at Dig Gate Lane over the M62 motorway at  Rochdale, as part of the £5 million remodelling of Junction 21 to improve access to the Kingsway Business Park.

Highways Agency officials have closely studied all alternatives for the demolition of the old bridge and this option has been favoured as work can be carried out during a single overnight closure of the motorway.

The motorway will be closed to traffic in both directions from 8.00pm on Saturday 29 July until 09.00am on Sunday 30 July.

Highways Agency project manager Paul Elliott said: "We have looked at every option for the demolition of this bridge to keep delays to a minimum for road users. By using an explosive charge we are able to do the job with just one overnight closure of the motorway.

"The work is being carried out at night and at the weekend when traffic flows are lower, but road users are advised to allow extra time for their journey.

"An exclusion zone will be in place around the bridge prior to the demolition for the safety of all concerned."

A clearly signed diversion will operate via the A640 Elizabethan Way, A664 Kingsway and the A627 (M) motorway.

The demolition charges will be placed so that the bridge deck will  fall onto the motorway carriageway, which will be protected by a crash mat of plywood sheets and a granular material.

Once the bridge is on the carriageway specialist equipment with hydraulic 'jaws' will be brought in to demolish what is left of the bridge so that it can be removed and the motorway re-opened as quickly as possible.

The new Kingsway Business Park is expected to create thousand of jobs in an area disadvantaged by problems of industrial decay.

The improvements to Junction 21 include:

• Construction of a new dual carriageway and two roundabouts between the eastbound exit slip road and the existing A640 (Elizabethan Way) roundabout
• Modifications to the existing eastbound exit slip road
• Improvements to the westbound slip road

As part of the scheme, the subway from the south side of the M62 to Moor Bank Lane will be closed, and the footpath diverted westward towards Dig Gate Lane. The junction improvements are being overseen by the Highways Agency and paid for by Wilson Bowden Development Ltd and the North West Development Agency in association with Rochdale MBC.