A new bridge will open in South Cumbria next month as part of a £23.3 million improvement scheme for the A595.
Funded by the Department for Transport, the project is creating a 0.8 mile single carriageway between Chapels and Grizebeck village on the A595.
A key feature is a new bridge that will offer residents and agricultural vehicles a permanent crossing over the A595.
The bridge deck has now been lifted into place and Story Contracting are putting the finishing touches on the structure ready for its anticipated opening next month.
A full closure of the route between the Grizebeck Community Hall and Dove Ford is planned this weekend, Saturday October 25 and Sunday October 26 and next weekend, Saturday November 1 and Sunday November 2, from 7am on Saturday until 5pm on Sunday.
Westmorland & Furness Council said significant progress continued on the project, with 72,000 tonnes of material excavated at Penn Hill and estimated 52,000 tonnes of it reused across the scheme to form the foundation for the new A595 route.
To carry out essential in-river work, a local beck was temporarily diverted and a licensed fish rescue carried out to safely relocate wildlife.
A new 20-tonne culvert is now installed at Grizebeck and another added behind the community centre. Recent heavy rain has already tested the new drainage systems, which performed as designed to manage surface water safely, the council said.
A poisonous plant, hemlock water dropwort, was also identified in two locations and has been removed. Night-time bat surveys have taken place at Dove Bank Cottages to check for roosting bats before more work take place.
Andy Clode, construction director at Story Contracting, said: “Seeing the bridge deck in place has been brilliant for the project team and for the local community, as it feels like the opening is now not far away.
“I would just like to thank the council and project team as well as our fantastic supply chain who have all worked together to achieve this significant milestone”.
As part of the project’s commitment to creating social value and enhancing the local environment, the council and Story Contracting are inviting residents to propose projects that could benefit from up to 100 hours of volunteer support and access to machinery.
Local initiatives are already seeing the benefits, including the community hall at Grizebeck which has received upgraded lighting, drainage and pavements, improving access to what was previously a dark and difficult to reach area.
The Grizebeck project has been supported by a £10.5 million funding contribution from Team Barrow; a partnership between the Government, Westmorland and Furness Council, and BAE Systems.
Improvements on the A595 will support Team Barrow’s wider objectives, which focus on transforming transport infrastructure alongside key areas such as education, skills, and housing, in order to sustain future employment growth at BAE Systems and strengthen Barrow’s role as the home of the UK’s submarine-building capability.
People are invited to the community hall on Wednesday December 3 to meet the project team, learn more about upcoming plans for the scheme and ask questions. The timings for this event will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
