National Highways’ £37m concrete road reconstruction scheme on the A14 between Haughley and Tothill has reached its midway point.

In mid-April, National Highways began main construction on a project to completely remove the concrete road surface of the section between junctions 47a and 49 and some of the foundations, before rebuilding the road with recycled material and a new asphalt road surface.

The surface had reached the stage where it needed to be replaced to improve safety, create a smoother road surface and reduce noise for drivers who travel on the section every day.

So far the crew has:

• Removed 8,610 cubic metres of concrete
• Laid 16,647 tonnes of new asphalt road surface,
• Installed more than two miles (3.5km) of new drainage and repaired 0.5km of existing drainage,
• Installed more than two miles (3.7km) of new safety barriers.

Mindy Bhogal, Project Manager at National Highways said: “We are thrilled to celebrate a significant milestone in our ongoing enhancement project that will ensure smoother and quieter journeys for thousands of motorists on the A14. We know that living, working, and travelling in and around a major construction scheme isn’t easy, so we’re grateful for the patience and understanding that road users, local people and businesses have shown whilst we’ve been carrying out this vital upgrade.”

The next phase of the work will start with the reconstruction of the lane two westbound carriageway. This involves moving barriers which separate the traffic and laying new road markings to ensure the new temporary road lanes and layout are clear and easy for motorists to follow.

National Highways says the scheme is part of a nationwide drive to revitalise old concrete roads across the country. Concrete roads make up almost 400 miles (four per cent) of England’s motorway and major A-road network. Mostly found along the eastern side of the country, around half of the old-style concrete roads in the region will either have repairs or be replaced, including stretches on the A11, A14, A12, A120 and M11.

(Picture – National Highways)