Flyover to close for repairs in new year
Drivers face 16 weeks of delays in the new year after West Sussex County Council announced that the Hazelwick flyover is to close for refurbishment.
The40-year-old flyover consists of two bridges that straddle the Hazlewick roundabout and, from early 2013, the council will carry out £650,000 of repairs to the deteriorating structure.
A council spokesman said an inspection had identified parts of the flyover which were reaching the end of their life and, if left untouched, the bridge could be closed for safety reasons.
Council contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places will replace the rubber pads that support the bridge beams before a concrete waterproofing membrane is applied to the top of the bridge, the expansion joints and finally the road surface.
A spokesman said: “Work of this nature cannot be done with traffic driving over the bridge as this would be unsafe for both the public and the workforce carrying out the repairs.
“Closing the bridge will also mean the water-proofing, expansion joints and resurfacing work will be finished much more quickly than if the road was re-opened with temporary lights in place to control traffic.”
The majority of the work will take place during daylight hours to reduce the noise disruption to local residents but the council is exploring the option of carrying out some work in the evenings. Diversions will be in place during the work and signs will be erected beforehand to warn people to expect delays.
The spokesman added: “The council is liaising with local businesses to make them aware of the works well in advance of the start date. Where possible, local businesses will be encouraged to consider re-routing vehicles or altering times when journeys are made.”
Cllr Pieter Montyn, Cabinet member for highways and transport,, said: “We recognise this essential refurbishment is likely to result in significant disruption to motorists, which is why we have taken the step of announcing it as early as possible. Unfortunately there is never a convenient time to carry out works of this nature. But once this is finished, the flyover’s lifespan will be extended for a further 25 years.”
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Weather for Crawley
Saturday 25 May 2013
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