Remedial work to repair the £32m Ralph Butcher Causeway, at King’s Dyke, Whittlesey, is due to start on Monday 7 July and will last 22 weeks until December 8.
There has been a lane closure in place since July 2024 due to cracking in the road. In May this year, the contractor, Jones Bros reported further cracks that had appeared in the road surface near the centre of the carriageway.
“Regular monitoring is being carried out, which includes daily visual inspections and monitoring equipment,” a county council spokesperson said today.
“Design options have been assessed, modelled, and tested, and the proposed remedial work to address the issue has now been approved. The work will begin on Monday 7 July and will last 22 weeks, until 8 December.”
The Ralph Butcher Causeway includes an embankment that sits between the new rail bridge and the new subway and is built up of reinforced earth that supports the carriageway. The remedial work will involve installing soil nails, which are steel tendons used to increase stability, into the embankment, starting from the bottom, and laying a concrete surface to the embankment to provide further stability.
“The work will be carried out and completed with the lane closure remaining,” the spokesperson said. “Full road closure will not be required.
“We are aware this work will take us through the autumn and winter period, and there have been issues with flood affected roads in the wider area. However, the works on the B1040 Dog in a Doublet bridge were completed last year, which has improved the resilience against flooding for this year.
“Once the remedial work is complete, the road will fully re-open to two-way running. There will then be a period of settlement, around three months, before the carriageway is fully resurfaced as the final step.”
The spokesperson added: “The costs for the work are being fully met by Jones Bros. The council has not accepted ownership of the bridge until the remediation work is addressed and we’re ensuring there is accountability and ownership by the contractors, Jones Bros”
Keep checking back as Cambsnews will provide updates on a regular basis.
