This week work has begun on the major reconstruction of Akers Way. The road has been closed between St Mary’s Church and Cheney Manor Industrial Estate to enable the contractor to begin phase one of the works which is expected to last up to six weeks. The site compound is now in place and traffic marshals are on hand to help motorists and pedestrians. The top layer of surfacing has been planed off to expose the concrete base which is being examined for further defects. The contractor has so far removed 4,526m2 of the road’s surface weighing in at a huge 840 tonnes (which equates to 42 lorry loads and enough to cover an area big enough to park 182 buses on).
During the next two weeks, the contractor will be concentrating on the re-construction of the road where the concrete has deteriorated and will then apply the specialist solution to the base before the top layer of tarmac is laid. At the same time, the contractor will be rebuilding gullies and will begin the layby extension which you will see start to take shape when the new kerb line is installed.
The £900,000 project is designed to address problems with the deteriorating concrete base of the road. A complex but cost-effective solution has been devised which combines modifications to the concrete road base slabs and includes a specially designed thicker road surfacing material layer on top.
The scheme will be split into a number of phases with specific traffic management arrangements for each phase of works. The diversion routes will be clearly signed in both directions for the duration of the works and advanced notification signs will be in place two weeks prior to the start of each phsse of the work.
The diversion route for phase one of the works will be via Cheney Manor Industrial Estate Road, Darby Close and Cheney Manor Road. There will be no access to Akers Way from the residential section of Cheney Manor Road including Harvey Grove, Brooklands Avenue and Manor Gardens.
During the works there may be some congestion, so we would urge motorists to allow extra time on their journeys through this area.
Further information about the work is available via: www.swindon.gov.uk/akersway
Click here to watch our contractor who planed off the entire stretch of road between St Mary’s Church and Cheney Manor industrial estate.