Newsletter No 30. Week Commencing Monday 1st November. First published Friday 29th October 2021.
This newsletter is to provide you with an update on the Greengates Junction Improvement works.
Please note traffic management measures remain in place at Greengates junction to enable us to work on all four arms of the junction. Please plan your journey accordingly if you are passing through the junction.
Work on Greengates Junction will be ongoing until Spring 2022.
Progress, the past four weeks
Over the past four weeks, work areas have been re-established to enable motorists and pedestrians to use running lanes and foot paths on the southern flank of the scheme. This is to allow works to progress onto the northern flank of the scheme.
Initial works in this area are to firstly accommodate the third phase of the water main diversion, followed by the diversions required for drainage, low-voltage cables, utilities, the underground traffic control system, street signs and street lighting.
Once complete, these works will allow us to reconfigure and profile the roads and footpaths in this area of the scheme.
Unfortunately, to enable us to undertake these works as quickly and as safely as possible, the alleyway between QRI and Aldo's Italian has been closed from Tuesday 5th October. Please rest assured that this alley will reopen in the new year.
On Harrogate Road, we are pleased to say that the final gas diversion works leading from Stockhill Road to Optegra Eye Hospital are now complete.
We are now able to undertake the final phase of low-voltage cable diversions which, once finished, will be followed by both the BT and Virgin Media infrastructures. These will lead from the war memorial on Harrogate Road all the way down to Optegra Eye Hospital.
Further along Harrogate Road, we have removed the railings surrounding the war memorial which have been conveyed for refurbishment and carefully dismantled the stone walls. The existing stone will be stored and used to re-build the wall along the new boundary at a later date.
Howard Civil Engineering have worked closely with Bradford Council and local community groups to ensure the events taking place to commemorate Remembrance Sunday will take place as planned.
We have undertaken drainage installation works in the road outside Asda on New Line, during which we unearthed further unidentified services. All of these services have now been properly identified, with Northern Powergrid and Yorkshire Water both deploying specialist teams to drill and sever the newly discovered pipes and high-voltage cables to confirm their redundant status.
Further down New Line, work is underway to establish a new bus stop on the corner of Haigh Hall Road and New Line. Ground preparations have unearthed historic structures, believed to be the basements of demolished homes, which have now been removed or made safe in preparation for the required low-voltage diversions works which will occur next week.
The next four weeks
Throughout the next four weeks, we will be undertaking low-voltage diversion works along Harrogate Road, leading from Optegra Eye Hospital to the war memorial, and on the corner of New Line and Haigh Hall Road. Once the diversion on Haigh Hall Road/New Line is complete, we will proceed to form the bus layby in this area.
Along New Line, we will be undertaking water main diversion works from QRI to Natwest.
Road widening operations will continue on the western flank of Harrogate Road.
As mentioned above, Howard Civil Engineering have worked closely with Bradford Council and local community groups to ensure the events taking place to commemorate Remembrance Sunday will take place as planned.
Howard Civil Engineering in the Bradford Community
You may have noticed our Greengates junction site team have donned fabulous pink hi-vis jackets this month! The team have taken it upon themselves to wear pink throughout October to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
We are also thrilled to be supporting local breast cancer support group Bosom Friends Bradford as part of this campaign.
Earlier this month, pupils at Sunnyside Day Nursery swapped toy diggers for real ones as our Greengates site team invited the children to learn about plant machinery - and they really *digged* it!
‘The children absolutely loved it!’ said one member of staff. ‘We often watch [the Howard Civil Engineering team] at work from the garden or the doorstep, so it was an amazing experience for them to climb on and explore the diggers and dumper trucks.’
Traffic Management
Roads have been reduced to two lanes in all directions to enable us to progress with ongoing junction widening works. We anticipate that these traffic management measures will be in place for the foreseeable future. Please allow extra time for travel when passing through the junction.
Although most motorists are sensibly and patiently obeying the traffic management, some have been observed driving through red lights and even driving the wrong way along Stockhill Road, the site of the local primary school. Such behaviour is incredibly dangerous and the police are assisting us when they can to prevent this. We kindly ask all motorists to remain patient and to wait at red lights which is of course a legal requirement.
West Yorkshire Police have launched a dashcam portal which enables the public to upload footage of dangerous driving, driver distraction offences, including using a mobile phone, driving without due care and attention, careless driving and traffic light contraventions. We and the police would encourage the public to submit any such footage to the police via: westyorkshire.police.uk/SaferRoadsSubmissions.
Howard Civil Engineering have worked alongside Bradford Council to ascertain the most efficient traffic management measures to enable us to complete the junction improvement works with the highest consideration for safety of our operatives, road users and pedestrians. Their traffic engineers continue to work with us to make the required adjustments to the traffic lights to balance the queues and make it as fair as we can for all motorists. We apologise in advance for any disruption and delays which you may encounter as a result of these works and thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Your site contacts
There are several ways you can contact the site team to report faults, voice any concerns or ask any questions you may have.
The HRNL Junction Improvement Scheme is managed by the following members of our experienced and highly approachable team: Tony Kilbane (Contracts Manager), Simon Doling (Site Agent), Mick Bottomley (Site Supervisor) and Fahd Mahmood (Site Engineer). Please rest assured there will always be a representative on site during working hours should you have you questions about the scheme.
To contact Howard Civil Engineering, please contact your Community Liaison Officer, Sophie Henderson, at greengates.junction@howardcivileng.co.uk or contact 07793654086.
To contact a member of Bradford Council, please contact David Aspinall via email at david.aspinall@bradford.gov.uk.
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