Innovative engineering keeps A14 moving despite essential repairs

Innovative engineering is to be introduced on the busy A14 River Nene viaduct which will enable motorists to continue using the road when a major repairs scheme is under way.

A large expansion joint on the Northamptonshire viaduct needs to be replaced having reached the end of its working life. A new joint - which has never before been used in the UK - will be installed which will reduce noise and improve maintenance.

The work is expected to take three months but to keep the road open as much as possible, innovative bridging plates are being installed spanning the excavated area which can be raised to allow access for overnight working and lowered for traffic to flow in the daytime.

Without using these temporary bridging plates, which are winched and locked into place during the works, the route would need to be closed to all traffic 24/7 for several weeks.

Road users and local communities have the opportunity to find out more about the work on the bridge near Thrapston from the project team at a public information event taking place later this month. (July)

The expansion joint is between junctions 12 and 13. Expansion joints are flexible devices designed to accommodate movement within a structure due to thermal expansion or contraction, or other forces such as traffic. 

National Highways Project Manager, Simon Wagstaff, said:

“The current joint was installed 25 years ago and has reached the end of its serviceable life. These joints prevent stress build-up and potential cracking or damage so it’s vital they are well maintained and replaced when necessary.

“But we appreciate that roadworks can be disruptive, particularly on such a busy route, so we have gone that extra mile to find a solution which will minimise the impact on road users.

“For the safety of our workforce and road users, we will need to close the road but will mostly do that at night when we know traffic numbers are lower.”

One of the features of the new joint is a quick release system so it can be replaced overnight should the need ever arise, significantly reducing disruption. It also has noise reducing plates to lower the noise created by vehicles driving over it.

The scheme will start on Friday 29 August. Members of the project team will be on hand to discuss the work at a public information event on Tuesday 22 July. It takes place at the Co-op in Oundle Road, Thrapston, from 11am to 6pm.

Work will take place on the eastbound carriageway initially and then switch to the westbound carriageway until the scheme is completed in December. This is to minimise the impact on road users.

The A14 will be closed between junction 10 (Burton Latimer) and junction 13 (Thrapston) to reduce the amount of traffic diverting through Thrapston and other smaller communities.

Project Manager Simon Wagstaff added:

“We are determined, where possible, to minimise disruption for not only the people using our roads but also those in nearby communities who may be impacted by our work.

“We’ve been working with the police, local councils and MP to understand concerns about high volumes of traffic diverting through Thrapston, particularly those ignoring the weight limit. During the work we will be reminding road users to follow the well signed diversion route and not their sat navs.”

Contractor Carnell will have a safety cam van in Thrapston to record HGVs ignoring the town’s weight limit. This footage will be shared with police and transport managers contacted regarding the breaches.

Updates on the work can be found on the National Highways website here or people can subscribe to the scheme distribution list by emailing noreply14emids@nationalhighways.co.uk