With the imminent opening of the new 4.5km section of the A590 Bypass in Cumbria, the local communities of High and Low Newton in the Lake District National Park, will for the very first time enjoy the level and quality of access that has for so long been denied them.

The A590 trunk road has provided the major strategic link between south and west Cumbria, as well as between the national motorway network and the industrial areas of Sellafield and Barrow-in-Furness, over the last 30 years. During this time many parts of the road have had major improvement work with the notable exception of the section that serves these small hamlets.

This stretch of the A590 is a narrow and twisting accident black spot, renowned for its above average levels of air and noise pollution, creating a very poor environment for the people living in the region. The villages regularly dealt with over 20,000 vehicles daily passing through, many of which were heavy commercial transport. The local communities waged a concerted and tireless campaign for the bypass.

The decision by the Highways Agency to give the green light and solve the problem by building a dual two-lane bypass, and award the design and build contract to Laing O’Rourke, was naturally met with sheer delight by the local communities when it was announced in August 2005.

Simon Russell, Project Leader on the Bypass scheme has lived and breathed every step of the £36.6m scheme from community engagement on design through to the final stages of construction.

“The vision was to avoid the ‘permanent massive scar’ scenario of previous road schemes that cross rural areas, and instead bring our ‘considerate constructor’ skills and experience to bear on this project.

Given the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside, we incorporated many environmental mitigation measures into the design and build phases. These included more sympathetic landscaping and earthworks, providing enhancements to protect the habitats of the region’s wildlife, including badger and otter tunnels, together with 65,000 new trees and shrubs.

We started construction in August 2006, and initially moved over 450,000 cubic metres of earthworks, including the challenge of excavating 30,000 cubic metres of peat to form landscaped areas sympathetic to the adjacent scenery.

One of the most significant operational challenges resulted from the project programme requiring the scheme to be constructed during two winter periods and but only one summer period. To deliver on time we took a very regimented approach to the key deliverables, conscious of lower productivity levels during the winter months. More importantly the success of the scheme would not have been possible without the drive and determination of the entire site team.”

The A590 team’s collaborative approach to solving problems has kept the construction work on plan and the scheme is due to open on time in Spring 2008. This is a fantastic achievement and one that the locals will be toasting for many years to come.