Motorists face two months of roadworks at Tinsley viaduct

YET MORE roadworks are being carried out on South Yorkshire’s busiest bridge.

Barriers, footpaths, drainage and the road surface on the lower deck will all be upgraded during the project, which could go on until Christmas.

Motorists will face a 30mph speed limit as they are diverted onto the viaduct’s central service road.

The work is the second part of a three-phase project which began with the northbound carriageway being tackled last year.

The southbound side of the road is now the focus of work expected to take until July, with the service road next up.

During the overall scheme, around 2.5 miles of safety barriers will be replaced, the steel structure will be waterproofed, 20,000 square metres of resurfacing will be put down and just over a mile of footpath will be improved.

Highways England project manager Russell Mclean said: “Tinsley Viaduct is a unique piece of our road network and that is why we carry out regular inspections and maintenance work to ensure it remains in good working order and continues to provide a vital road link for the community. 

“It carries on average 100,000 vehicles per day.   

“Around nine different specialist teams will be working on site and where possible work will take place 24/7 to ensure it is completed as quickly and safely as possible. 

“We will be making full use of the road closures by carrying out a range of maintenance and improvement work. 

“This includes replacing the barriers and improving facilities for pedestrians, improving safety along this route.”

While most traffic will use the service road, HGVs will be diverted through Meadowhall.

The next phase of the roadworks, which will take place in the summer, will deal with the service road and traffic will be unaffected.

Tinsley Viaduct cost £6 million to build back in 1968 and involved 12,500 tonnes of steel and 81,000 tonnes of concrete.