Lower speed limit on 10 miles of A1 motorway in North Yorkshire for 'pioneering' resurfacing work

A stretch of the A1 motorway in North Yorkshire is set to be resurfaced in a more environmentally-friendly way using "pioneering" technology.
Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.
Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.
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Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.
Picture by Rui Vieira/PA Wire.

The work means a reduced speed limit will be in place across a ten-mile section of the southbound carriageway between Leeming and Ripon Interchange from Monday, July 29 until the work is expected to be completed, by the end of the year.

Highways England said the use of a cold repaver machine will see about 100,000 tonnes of tarmac being laid in a faster manner than usual, with 60 per cent less waste going to landfill.

The technology grinds up the road to be recycled, combining it with fresh bitumen and cement before laying it back down immediately.

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Ted Chamberlain, project manager at Highways England said: “We used this method last year on the northbound carriageway and it was a great success.

"The machine allows us to reconstruct bigger areas of road much faster. The wagons don’t have to make anywhere near as many trips, and the new road lasts a lot longer, meaning we won’t need to repeat the process for up to 20 years.

“This technology was rolled out in 2016 when we resurfaced a stretch of the A1 in Northumberland, and the lessons we learnt from that work gave us the chance to refine the process and provide an even smoother journey for drivers.”

The resurfacing work will start on July 29. Two lanes will remain open in both directions for the duration of the scheme and a speed limit will be in place to keep road workers and motorists safe.

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Next week, from Monday, there will lane and carriageway closures overnight so that Highways England can install a contraflow, where both north and southbound traffic will travel on the northbound carriageway.

During the work, clearly-signed diversions will be in place, Highways England said.