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Milestone Reached in Innovative £3.25M Road Junction Upgrade
Piling work completed at the new Harts Farm Way junction on the A27
28 November 2006
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), in conjunction with Havant Borough Council, the Highways Agency and Hampshire County Council is pleased to announce that the first stage of work to improve the capacity of the intersection between Harts Farm Way and the A27 at Broadmarsh, Hampshire is well on its way to completion.
The innovative work, including the installation of the 565 reinforced concrete piles required to support the new junction, (known as ‘Teardrop Junction’ due to its shape) began in August this year and is now complete. Construction of the reinforced concrete slabs on top of the piles for the new road is well advanced and is expected to be completed imminently.
The Junction works are required to improve vehicular access to the Southmoor Park and Broadmarsh developments and will facilitate the redevelopment of the SEEDA owned, four hectare brownfield site at Harts Farm Way, which was previously used by Havant Borough Council as a depot.
The rigid piled platform is necessary in order to support the new road and prevent settlement either side of the existing junction, where the ground is formed of landfill placed during the 1970s. Engineers GC Partnership Ltd devised the plan for the road in conjunction with Hampshire County Council’s Highways Department. Dr David Jones, Director of GC Partnership said: “Designing and building a road on a landfill such that it will not move presented many technical and environmental challenges. Fortunately the modified designs of the contractor resulted in a reduction in environmental impact by minimising the removal of waste from the site.”
Following competitive tender, the construction contract for the works was awarded to Edmund Nuttall Ltd, who proposed the innovative piled reinforced concrete solution along with consultant Gifford and Partners. Clive Langdown, the Site manager for the project for Edmund Nuttall said: “The piled reinforced concrete solution avoided undertaking a significant amount of excavation into the existing landfill site, the contents of which were largely unknown and presented a substantial risk.”
When completed, the Teardrop Junction scheme will create a new multi-lane, traffic-signal-controlled junction, which is part of Havant Borough Council’s Regeneration Strategy for 2005-2008. The improved access is required as a condition of the redevelopment of the Penner Road sites on Southmoor Park and will also will open up key sites for development and create up to 2000 jobs by 2008.
Phase II of the Broadmarsh traffic improvements scheme, which will involve the installation of traffic light control on the ‘Rusty Cutter Roundabout’ located on the north side of the A27, is due to commence in early 2007 and expected to take three months to complete.
Development Director at SEEDA, Peter Cusdin, said: “The aerial pictures taken by SEEDA recently show the extent of the works required to improve the capacity of the roads in the area and will secure further private sector investment into Havant. We are very pleased with the progress being made with the new junction so far, and look forward to the re-opening of Harts Farm Way before Christmas and final completion of the junction in spring 2007.”
SEEDA and Havant Borough Council are in consultation with the Highways Agency and Hampshire County Council, the local police force and other relevant bodies to ensure that diversions are in place to minimise disruption. Alternative access to existing sites including the Household Waste Recycling Centre has been made available via signed diversion routes. A project hotline is available during normal working hours Monday to Friday on 023 9244 9618. Out of hours calls are responded to as soon as possible.
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