Highways England has announced that a section of the westbound M62 will close for an entire weekend in June.
Leeds Live revealed that the stretch of motorway between junctions 29 and 28, which is near Leeds, is the section affected due to essential repairs that need to be carried out on the Ardsley Railway Bridge.
The news provider explained that the structure needs to be re-waterproofed. This procedure should prevent the bridge from deteriorating, with Highways England explaining that by closing this section of the motorway for a full weekend, engineers will be able to work around the clock to complete the work.
Waterproofing of bridges and other concrete structures is necessary because over time rainwater and road salt can gradually erode the concrete. This would make the bridge unsafe if left unchecked.
The organisation has planned the works for the summer, when there tends to be less traffic, and has made sure that it doesn’t coincide with any major events to minimise disruption to motorists.
Project manager at Highways England Dan Edwards told the news provider it’s important that the work is carried out soon. “Safety is our top priority and with that in mind, it’s crucial that we carry out this repair work now to stop the bridge deteriorating to a point that it could become a safety issue,” he stated.
As well as gradual wear and tear, big storms can also cause damage to bridges. Storm Desmond, which hit Cumbria in 2015 damaged hundreds of roads and bridges in the region. The BBC recently revealed that, despite having carried out over 800 projects to make repairs, the local authority still has nearly 150 roads and bridges to fix.
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