News

Restoring the historic look of town centre road

Calderdale logo

Essential maintenance is due to take place on Rawson Street in Halifax, which will also improve the heritage look of this town centre road.

Rawson Street is home to a number of historic buildings and the road surface is currently a mix of old stone setts and tarmac, with the latter being used as a temporary fix for surface issues.

From Monday 9 January 2023, work is taking place to take up the existing setts and their foundations so they can safely be re-laid in the same fantail pattern on a new concrete base. This will remove the tarmac patches and ensure a consistent surface.

The work is due to be complete by Friday 24 March, although this is dependent on the extent of works required to the existing foundation, so may be extended if necessary.

To undertake this complex work, it will be necessary for the road to be fully closed, seven days a week. However, to minimise disruption as much as possible, it will be completed in two phases. The lower half of Rawson Street from Powell Street to Commercial Street will be closed during Phase 1 and the upper half from Barum Top to Powell Street will be closed for Phase 2.

During Phase 1, traffic from Rawson Street will be diverted down Powell Street to Fountain Street. And during Phase 2, the existing one-way system on Powell Street will be reversed to allow vehicular access from Fountain Street to the bottom half of Rawson Street and onto Commercial Street.

Businesses along the road have been informed and pedestrian access will be maintained at all times

Calderdale Council’s Leader, Cllr Tim Swift, said:

“The historic road surface on Rawson Street in Halifax complements the heritage buildings nearby. However, necessary repairs over the years have left the road as a patchwork of tarmac and stone setts. This work to lift, repair and replace the setts will improve the look of the road and ensure the surface is fit for purpose.

“This type of work is time consuming and complex, so we’re carrying it out in phases to minimise disruption and will complete the work as soon as possible.”

ENDS

This entry was posted in Heritage, Roads and Highways, Towns. Bookmark the permalink.