Motorists warned M62 repairs may take until late into 2023
Two lanes have been closed on the eastbound carriageway, near Goole, since March while repairs to a damaged bridge joint took place. One lane was reopened in July but National Highways now say all eight joints across both carriageways now need replacing.
The works are now not expected to be complete until autumn 2023, a spokesperson added. "We are currently working on the complex design required to permanently replace all eight joints across both carriageways on Ouse Bridge.," the spokesperson said.
"The current plates were sourced and put in place to allow a lane to be reopened as soon as possible; this solution was always a temporary measure designed to allow traffic back onto one lane of the eastbound carriageway. Since installing the temporary plates we've had two design teams looking at 1) a second set of temporary plates for the area we need to work in and 2) the full joint replacement across both carriageways.
"We need to investigate a second temporary plate option which will allow us to work around it as we install the permanent joint replacement. This is because we want a solution that will also allow us to keep the eastbound lane open with access to junction 37, for the majority of the permanent repair.
"We are designing these two solutions concurrently to try and reduce the need for full closures in the future as much as possible. Our main aim is to keep all road users and the on-site workforce as safe as possible while working towards the solution."
The spokesperson thanked motorists for their patience and said National Highways would continue to keep drivers updated. They added: "Ouse Bridge is a complex (almost) 50-year-old structure and replacing bridge joints is a highly complex task which requires specialist equipment, resource, and time.
"The design of bridge joints has evolved over time and this particular joint is now obsolete so we cannot replace it like for like. This will also involve alterations to the concrete elements of the bridge. We have worked with industry-leading engineers to carry out detailed and methodical analysis of the structure to inform our replacement programme. We have needed to carry out robust structural investigations and detailed design work that includes precise calculations."
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