{"id":499926,"date":"2024-05-28T12:47:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T11:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=499926"},"modified":"2024-05-28T12:47:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T11:47:01","slug":"costains-a1-dualling-scheme-gets-long-awaited-go-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/civils\/costains-a1-dualling-scheme-gets-long-awaited-go-ahead-28-05-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Costain’s A1 dualling scheme gets long-awaited go-ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The transport secretary has green-lit a major road-dualling scheme that was awarded to Costain almost three years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Harper acted in line with the Planning Inspectorate\u2019s recommendation, granting a development consent order for the 20km project to upgrade the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham.<\/span><\/p>\n

Costain secured the contract in the summer of 2021. At the time, it was due to begin work the following year and complete by early 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Planning Inspectorate made recommendations to previous transport secretary Grant Shapps a few months after the contract was awarded, but it has taken until now for the government to make a decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

The project will see a new dual carriageway built to bypass the existing single-lane A1 between Priest\u2019s Bridge and Burgham Park, which will become a local road.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the remainder of the route between Ellingham and Morpeth will be upgraded with the addition of an extra running lane in each direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Costain<\/span><\/a> will also build four compact grade-separated junctions at Highlaws, Fenrother, West Moor and Charlton Mires to provide safe access to the A1 and maintain links to the local road network.<\/span><\/p>\n

The scheme will feature new bridges over the River Coquet and at Heckley Fence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Costain is already working on two A1 upgrades in the region: from Birtley to Coal House; and Scotswood to North Brunton.<\/span><\/p>\n

National Highways said the schemes were needed to improve resilience, cut journey times and boost safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

A local farm had raised concerns about noise during the Morpeth to Ellingham project but a planning inspector found this could be \u201cappropriately mitigated\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, Harper found no reason not to grant the development consent order. No onsite start date has been announced.<\/span><\/p>\n

In October last year, the government announced that the dualling scheme would be funded using money taken from the<\/span> scrapped northern leg of the HS2 rail project<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The transport secretary has green-lit a major road-dualling scheme that was awarded to Costain almost three years ago. Mark Harper acted in line with the Planning Inspectorate\u2019s recommendation, granting a development consent order for the 20km project to upgrade the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham. Costain secured the contract in the summer of 2021. At …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87938,"featured_media":414147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[549,532],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n