Spine Road bridge to re-open early

 

One of Northumberland’s key travel routes will soon be back in action for motorists after Northumberland County Council completed repairs five weeks early.

 

The work to the bridge on the A189 Shankhouse Interchange – better known as the Three Horse Shoes Roundabout – was expected to take more than 14 weeks to finish, but an accelerated programme has seen the job completed ahead of schedule.

 

The route will now reopen for motorists on Monday 26 October, which means the whole project has taken just nine weeks to complete.

 

Cllr Alan Armstrong, Executive Member for Highways and Transport said: “This is a very busy road junction so I’m delighted that we were able to complete what were essential works ahead of schedule.

 

“We wanted to minimise the delays to motorists who use this road every day. That is why we accelerated the works programme to ensure the inconvenience to road users was kept to an absolute minimum. The team working on the road have done a tremendous job.”

 

The complicated works, which required the closure of the roundabout and part of the road were needed to support the bridge and replace the surface.

 

The work involved the removal of concrete damaged by road salt, which was allowing the steel reinforcement to rust. A modern protection system has been installed, the performance of which can be monitored remotely by engineers in County Hall.

 

The works have been designed and constructed by Northumberland County Council’s N3 Partnership, which includes Carillion plc and Aecom Limited.

 

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