Northumberland County Council and principal contractor Bam Nuttall have completed engineering works on time and within budget to help safeguard against an active landslip.
The £7m scheme in the River Coquet Site of Special Scientific Interest area was designed to tackle the active landslip at Todstead on the B6344.
Works began in April 2022 and the road opened successfully before the Easter Bank Holiday.
The engineering issues date back to the 1970s and over the decades so many efforts were made to try and safeguard the road that the existing asphalt was found to be over five metres deep in places.
The active landslip and underground water pressure had caused the road surface to often crack. The long-term solution, designed in partnership with Atkins Realis, was engineered to help relieve the pressure and re-align the road.
Using a range of engineering techniques, the project team:
- Constructed 180m of sheet pile walls using the largest section piles available driven to a depth of 16m. These stabilised the slope so that the remaining works could be carried out safely
- Installed de-watering wells up to 40 metres down to relieve water pressures at a deep level.
- Put in drainage at surface level on the slope to intercept water that might otherwise enter and weaken the slope.
- Re-aligned the southern embankment of the river Coquet to discourage future erosion.
- Removed and reconstructed the road to the west of the site away from the river's edge with an improved alignment that will also improve the safety of the road and reduce any loadings to the existing embankment.
The team has also replanted five times as many trees as had to be removed during the re-alignment of the road.
Cllr John Riddle, cabinet member for Local Services at the county council, explained: 'Not only is this great news for visitors, more importantly we’re re-opening a key road for residents and I want to thank everyone for their continued patience over the past year – it has been very much appreciated.
'It was vital we did this repair work to avoid losing this section of road altogether in the future and all the measures put in should safeguard this stretch of road for future generations.'
Gareth Farrier, divisional director at BAM, said: 'The complex engineering and environmental challenges presented by this scheme have been carefully and collaboratively tackled from day one, allowing the road to open ahead of schedule and before the busy Easter Bank Holiday.
'This is an important outcome for residents and visitors, which includes many members of the project team. Safeguarding this essential route with a long-term solution has been a key focus for every partner and to reach this milestone early demonstrates a determined commitment to improving outcomes for the people of Northumberland in the most efficient way.'
While the road is now open, contractors will have to return to the site in the near future to complete some minor works.
Photo shows - road looking west and:
- Jonny Purvis (Site Agent - BAM Nuttall)
- Patrick Smith, NCC
- Cllr John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Improving Our Highways (NCC)
- Cllr Trevor Thorne (local councillor)
- Frankie Wheatley (Section Engineer BAM Nuttall)
