Works to repair damage to Park Road in Elland are now underway and are expected to be complete early in the new year, and hopefully sooner.
Major repairs to this key route between Halifax, Elland and Brighouse are needed due to a landslip caused by flooding in February 2020. Vertical movement of 300mm caused cracking over a 60-metre length of the road, as well as some smaller tension cracks, which meant that it had to be fully closed to all traffic for safety reasons.
The complex engineering works have included immediate repairs to prevent further damage; ground movement monitoring; site investigations and site clearance, including the removal of the invasive species, Himalayan Balsam. Following this, BT infrastructure has been relocated to allow stabilisation works to begin.
The current work on site includes installing 157 deep bored piles and ground anchors, tied together with an in-situ concrete capping beam. The final stages will involve improving drainage to help deal with future heavy rain and the resurfacing of sections of the highway.
The complicated, specialist and costly nature of the repairs meant that additional funding had to be identified. The full repair plan was agreed after the Council successfully bid for £1.8 million from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, following approval from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in May 2021.
Esh Construction, the contractor undertaking the repairs, has planned works within a tight corridor to allow a previously closed pedestrian route to be re-established whilst works are carried out.
Cllr Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, said:
“We know how difficult this long road closure is for local residents and commuters. This has been an incredibly large and challenging project and we are doing everything we can to reopen Park Road as soon as possible.
“Thanks to Transforming Cities funding, we will also be making improvements to the road by introducing new pedestrian and cycling facilities, which will make it easier for people to get to Elland town centre and the proposed new Elland Rail Station. Encouraging walking and cycling is a key part of our ambition to improve air quality, tackle the climate emergency and help people to be more active and healthy.”
Steve Conn, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, said:
“We fully understand the difficulty this road closure continues to cause. In partnership with Calderdale Council, we are working hard to deliver the scheme with the aim to re-open the road as soon as possible, and in the meantime we have re-established a footway to allow pedestrians to use the highway safely.”