M62 OUSE BRIDGE SCHEME MOVES TO FINAL PHASE WITH FIVE OVERNIGHT CLOSURES IN AUGUST

Motorists in East Yorkshire are advised of overnight closures on the M62 Ouse Bridge as the next phase of a complex joint replacement and repair scheme begins.

National Highways is now preparing to switch traffic between junctions 36 (Goole) and 37 (Howden), into a new contraflow.

This will see vehicles using the eastbound carriageway as the next phase of the work begins on the westbound carriageway.

There will also be a single lane westbound for traffic joining from the junction 37 entry slip.

To enable this to be carried out safely, the M62 eastbound will be closed between junctions 36 and 37 on the nights of 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th August.

This will be followed with further closures on the westbound carriageway, between junctions 38 (North Cave) and 36, on the night of 12th August.

Each closure is due to be in place from 8pm until 6am the following morning.

Update – completion date

Once this phase has finished, the final completion date for the joint replacement works requiring 24/7 traffic management restrictions, including the contraflow and average speed cameras, is expected in mid-autumn .

This has moved from the previous anticipated completion date of late summer this year.

The revised timeline is due to several issues which have had to be addressed, a common occurrence when dealing with old, complex structures.

They include work on deteriorated waterproofing membranes and subsurface drainage, as well as the renewal of corroded structural reinforcement.

None of the problems encountered have caused risk to road users, however National Highways said it is prudent to address them while engineers are on site and roadworks are in place.

This will help avoid any future reactive repairs and closures and prevent further disruption.

National Highways Project Manager John Stebbing said: “We recognise the impact of this scheme on drivers, residents and businesses, and our contractors have been working around the clock to complete the work.

“Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to encounter issues when working with complex structures such as Ouse Bridge, especially ones designed and constructed around 50 years ago.

“Safety is paramount, and we need to make sure Ouse Bridge remains safe for road users and our engineers who are working on the scheme.

“This means lane closures will need to remain in place until the works are complete. Please be assured, we’re doing all we can to have the repairs finished as soon as possible and have the road fully reopened.

“We’re now approaching the final phase of the scheme and we are extremely grateful to everyone for their patience while this has been finished.”

Once the joints have been replaced, it is expected there will still be some further works to complete. These include drainage and the closing of central reserve crossovers.

However, these will be carried out using overnight or low-impact traffic management measures.