Roadworks to create misery for 60,000 motorists (From Daily Echo)
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Roadworks on Redbridge Roundabout to cause delays for 60,000 vehicles a day
11:15am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News
By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter
Traffic on the Redbridge Roundabout in Southampton
IT IS already one of the busiest traffic bottlenecks in Hampshire.
And now motorists are facing a winter of roadworks misery at one of the main gateways into Southampton .
Major works are to be carried out on the crumbling Redbridge roundabout at the bottom of the M271 motorway, which has been plagued by work in recent years.
The cones go up in a fortnight with council bosses apologising in advance for any inconvenience caused to commuters.
They have warned the work will have a “high impact on traffic” but have promised that there will be “no significant further maintenance” for years.
The roundabout carries 60,000 vehicles a day, or around 20 million a year, and is essential to the city’s economy but the urgent repairs are vital.
The work includes replacing the road surface and upgrading drains and will be carried out during the day and at night.
The first phase starts on October 15 and will run for four weeks. Most of the initial work will be on the drainage using a “no dig” repair solution.
The council said the “bulk of the work” will be done overnight with partial day closures of the west bound slip lanes for kerb works.
After a Christmas break repairs will resume in February for final resurfacing work which will take until the end of April.
A council statement said: “Once completed the roundabout surface should not require significant further maintenance for many years. The new surface will improve safety for the thousands of motorists who use it daily. The new smoother road surface should offer a marked reduction in the noise levels generated by heavy vehicles compared with the current road surface.”
“The first phase of work, which will begin on October 15 for four weeks is to the drainage on the roundabout and slip roads. Then work will stop for the Christmas period and we hope to start again in the middle of February.
The roundabout was last closed in February for urgent repairs.
The work to patch up potholes and the damaged surface of the roundabout was needed to prevent the road surface becoming a danger to motorists, the council said. A previous major resurfacing project took place six years ago.
Keith Peat from the Association of British Drivers said while road improvement was important it was imperative for the council to make a significant investment in the roads to avoid “patch up” repairs.
He said: “I would query why this work keeps needing to be done. The local authority needs to realise that the local economy would collapse if it were not for motor car transport.”
The AAs head of road transport policy Paul Watters said: “Of course this will be a nuisance but let’s hope they get in right this time and more work is not needed for some time to come.”
Comments(23)
Just another reader
says...
11:49am Thu 27 Sep 12
TEBOURBA
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12:24pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Now there is a huge dangerous hole at the bus stop near the junction with Portswood Road.
If a job has to be done at least do it right.
Who pays for the repair of this obviously shoddy workmanship?
If a private contractor had been responsible then he would have to put it right at his own expense.
Worth the Echo investigating, there are counless other instances where this partnership has done half a job.
I don't see why taxpayers should pay twice.
hulla baloo
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12:58pm Thu 27 Sep 12
TEBOURBA wrote:I would assume, though stand to be corrected, that the contractors carry out the work to the councils specs and under terms of the contract.
About a year ago Southampton City Council in partnership with Balfour Beattie reconstructed Brookvale Road in Portswood.
Now there is a huge dangerous hole at the bus stop near the junction with Portswood Road.
If a job has to be done at least do it right.
Who pays for the repair of this obviously shoddy workmanship?
If a private contractor had been responsible then he would have to put it right at his own expense.
Worth the Echo investigating, there are counless other instances where this partnership has done half a job.
I don't see why taxpayers should pay twice.
Dave Juson
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1:04pm Thu 27 Sep 12
bobbywestie
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1:30pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Bingo from Sholing
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1:30pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Dave Juson wrote:Yes, I agree entirely. The Echo that I remember as a boy was fair, balanced and had a cheerful note. I suspect it relied on its circulation rather than advertising in those days. Those in the Echo staff today should reflect on the paper they work on, and judge whether they are happy with its content, and indeed whether they are happy to continue with the type journalism the Echo expresses.
It’s amazing that Southampton is such a cheerful place, given the frequency of Echo reports that include that include the words “misery” and “roadworks” in the headline or opening paragraph. It must be the old Blitz Spirit”. Mind you, the Echo was a much more chipper, phlegmatic and optimistic publication back then.
Stillness
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2:24pm Thu 27 Sep 12
BillyTheKid
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2:31pm Thu 27 Sep 12
bobbywestie wrote:That quick ? Amazing !
This work is urgently required and as a local Residents Association we have battling for the work to be done for years. We were told at a recent meeting that most of the work will be done overnight
BillyTheKid
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2:44pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Bingo from Sholing wrote:As far as I can gather, the Echo, along with hundreds of other "local" papers are owned by a "national" company called Newsquest, who dictate the style, the approach, etc.
Dave Juson wrote:Yes, I agree entirely. The Echo that I remember as a boy was fair, balanced and had a cheerful note. I suspect it relied on its circulation rather than advertising in those days. Those in the Echo staff today should reflect on the paper they work on, and judge whether they are happy with its content, and indeed whether they are happy to continue with the type journalism the Echo expresses.
It’s amazing that Southampton is such a cheerful place, given the frequency of Echo reports that include that include the words “misery” and “roadworks” in the headline or opening paragraph. It must be the old Blitz Spirit”. Mind you, the Echo was a much more chipper, phlegmatic and optimistic publication back then.
For the Echo to work as a real local paper, everyone who works on it needs to be Southampton born and bred. I bet any money you like that any Southamptonian who posts here, who has lived in Southampton all their life and is over 50, will know far more about the city than our current Echo staff.
Like anything that was once handmade, that is then mass-produced, it has the flavour of the original, but not the soul.
Gozza1
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3:20pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Wonder if they've got any jobs going? I could do that.
southy
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3:23pm Thu 27 Sep 12
TEBOURBA
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4:26pm Thu 27 Sep 12
under common law.
As Soton City Council and Balfour Beattie are in partnership and the paymaster is Soton City Council, one half of the partnership, I wouldn't mind betting that we the taxpayers, pick up the tab for repairing rubbish workmanship -- if we go on like this we could keep Balfour Beattie in work for generations with no risk to their profit margins --- used to be called money for old rope
Lockssmart
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4:33pm Thu 27 Sep 12
ottred
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5:10pm Thu 27 Sep 12
georgetheseventh
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7:28pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Dave Juson wrote:I know..I remember they used to print a side column on each page with the words to pop tunes such as 'roll out the barrel' and 'bluebirds over. and 'when Jenny comes marching home again'..ahhh those where the days.
It’s amazing that Southampton is such a cheerful place, given the frequency of Echo reports that include that include the words “misery” and “roadworks” in the headline or opening paragraph. It must be the old Blitz Spirit”. Mind you, the Echo was a much more chipper, phlegmatic and optimistic publication back then.
Ginger_cyclist
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7:52pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Lockssmart wrote:Cycle!
Walk!
IronLady2010
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8:01pm Thu 27 Sep 12
bazzeroz
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9:12pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Here, There
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10:24pm Thu 27 Sep 12
sarfhamton
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11:27pm Thu 27 Sep 12
IronLady2010
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11:28pm Thu 27 Sep 12
TEBOURBA
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12:39pm Fri 28 Sep 12
The problem seems to me that the pressure to avoid disrupting traffic means that the Council do a quick fix, the Echo reports"patching up potholes."
That fact is that the roadbase itself has failed and needs reconstructing from bottom up.
Patching up and surfacing over will last at best, a few months before the potholes reappear and the work will need to be done again.
The Council is throwing good money after bad, but look on the bright side it must be good news for Balfour Beatty's directors and shareholders.
ajw1986 says...
11:35am Thu 27 Sep 12