Youngsters from a Bath primary school had a go at being “Bob the Builder” when they joined the crew working on the next phase of the Council’s A431 Kelston Road repairs.
The five-year-old pupils, from year one of Weston All Saints Primary School, put on their hard hats and high-visibility jackets before waving flags to signal the start for the huge piling rig to drill the concrete foundations into the ground – up to 15 metres below the road, which was badly damaged by a landslip.
Five-year-olds Jack, Adam and Noah – who go to school near to the closed section of the A431 Kelston Road – learned on site from engineers from the Council and its contractor Skanska about the colossal repair work carried out so far and how they are well on track to re-open the road before Christmas.
Councillor Caroline Roberts (Lib-Dem, Newbridge), Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the children along with their parents and teacher to see for themselves the terrific progress we’re making with our Kelston Road repairs.
“They seemed to really enjoy the experience and were fascinated by the huge machinery on site. Who knows – maybe we’ll inspire them to become engineers of the future!
“Bath & North East Somerset Council is committed to keeping the public informed like this and will be giving local residents and schools further opportunities to visit the site and inspect the works at certain stages so that the public can see first-hand the extensive repairs being undertaken.
“We have every sympathy with road users, residents and businesses that have been affected by the Kelston Road closure.
“We are working hard to ensure that the repair works carried out are as effective, efficient and practical as possible.”
In this second phase of the works, drilling and constructing the bored foundations is expected to take up to six weeks to complete.
During the next phase, Bath & North East Somerset Council and Skanska will start rebuilding the road and the associated works in readiness for road reopening.
Bath & North East Somerset Council remains committed to ensuring the scheme is delivered in the shortest possible time.
The Council has asked all utility companies to complete any planned work on the Kelston Road during the road closure period in order to avoid any disruption after the works are completed.
For more information on the Kelston Road repairs, including an exclusive video detailing the work so far, visit: www.bathnes.gov.uk/kelston.
The extensive repair work falls into four main categories:
- Construct the temporary works to enable access for all the equipment and materials – completed;
- Drill and construct deep concrete piles – now taking place;
- Rebuild the road, improve the drainage and resurface the road;
- Remove the equipment and reinstate the adjacent land. (To ensure the road reopens at the earliest opportunity, some ground reinstatement will be programmed for after the road reopens.
The engineering work is designed to deliver an optimum scheme which is capable of handling the area’s traffic in all weather conditions and be completed in the shortest practical time for a permanent solution.
