New milestone reached on major bypass project

A new milestone has been reached on the giant bypass scheme on the edge of Greater Manchester.

A newly constructed plant crossing will come into operation this month – the latest stage in the delivery of the A57 Link Roads scheme in Mottram, Tameside. National Highways says the estimated £228m project has been designed to reduce congestion and improve journey reliability between Manchester and Sheffield.

The plant crossing is a key component to enable the efficient delivery of the project, supporting the safe and sustainable movement of earthwork materials for use within the scheme. 

The crossing will allow construction vehicles to transport material from the underpass works across Mottram Moor for reuse along the Glossop Spur Link Road, significantly reducing the need to move materials off site. More than 100,000 tonnes of earthworks will be reused within the scheme, equating to approximately 8,000 short construction vehicle journeys across Mottram Moor during the project.

Andrew Scatchard, National Highways senior project manager, said: “To build the new Link Roads, large volumes of earth and stone need to be moved across Mottram Moor. Reusing material in this way will reduce heavy vehicle movements on the wider road network and lower carbon emissions.

“The new plant crossing will enable this to be done safely, quickly and efficiently, causing minimum disruption to people’s journeys.”
Operational testing of the crossing will take place early this May to ensure it is fully functional before being brought into use. The plant crossing itself is a temporary, controlled crossing point managed by traffic signals. 

It will enable construction vehicles to move safely and efficiently between work areas. It is expected to remain in place for up to three years. When in use, traffic will be held for short durations of between 60 and 90 seconds to allow construction vehicles to cross Mottram Moor, helping to keep disruption to a minimum.

Mr Scatchard added: “We anticipate some short delays at peak times, but we will do everything we can to minimise disruption. Drivers will be held for short periods only at the temporary traffic lights when construction vehicles cross. We thank the local community for their support and patience while we continue our work.”

Currently the A57 link roads project includes the creation of two new link roads. One is Mottram Moor link road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57 at Mottram Moor.

The other is the A57 link road – a new single carriageway link from the A57 at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

The major scheme is estimated to be up and running by 2028, but a full completion date could be as late as 2031, according to the National Highways website.