Long-running A1 roadworks at Wentbridge causing misery for local villages
Residents say local routes are being used as 'rat runs' by drivers trying to avoid queues
Last updated 24th Jan 2024
People living near the long-running repair work on the A1 at Wentbridge say they're dealing with traffic, potholes and litter as a result of drivers using local roads as 'rat runs'.
It comes after National Highways revealed work on the Wentbridge Viaduct now won't be finished until the end of summer 2024.
They originally set out to waterproof and resurface the bridge, with work due to finish in winter 2023. That then got pushed back to April 2024, and now isn’t set to finish until the summer.
Project manager John Stebbing says it’s because of ‘unprecedented’ complications they discovered once they started work on the bridge, including damaged sections of concrete, failed manhole covers and defects to the safety barrier foundations:
“I’ve worked on a significant number of projects and I’ve never had this many additional elements of work that have been needed,” he said.
“It is an unprecedented amount that we could not foresee.
“But I do completely recognise the effects that this is having. It’s work that should’ve been finished by now and all we can do is apologise for the delays.”
The closure of one of two lanes through the roadworks area is causing slow traffic with an average 30 minutes of extra journey time.
Drivers are being urged to remain on the A1 or use the M18 and M1 rather than taking local routes to try and avoid the queues. But people living in areas like Wentbridge, Kirk Smeaton, Stapleton and Norton say they’re seeing a significant impact from all the extra traffic travelling through.
“The potholes have actually become channels down either side of the road,” says Gillian Ivey, chair of Little Smeaton Parish Council.
“What’s causing the damage is A) the far increased volume of traffic, but B) the speed people are driving. They don’t know the local roads and they’re not driving at a suitable speed for the width of the road.
“The tarmac is breaking away at the side of the roads. (The council has) filled some of it in with gravel but that’s very temporary and doesn’t stay there very long. So we’ve now got gravel with potholes in it and it’s just getting worse and worse by the day.”
Gillian shows us one of the roads being used as a ‘rat run’ and thinks it will need to be completely resurfaced. But she says Doncaster and North Yorkshire Councils have been told it’s up to them to pay for the repairs – and those can’t start until the A1 works have finished.
“We have actively signed areas all over our network try to encourage people not to use the local routes, and we’re also working with the local police forces to try and enforce where we can,” says John.
“The problem we’ve got is it’s not actually illegal for people to use the local routes.
“There are also local businesses who’ve come to us saying ‘we’ve noticed you’re trying to discourage people not to go down this road and now we’re not getting any passing traffic’. So it’s finding that balancing act.”
National Highways were originally planning to carry out work on Wentedge Bridge at the same time as Wentbridge Viaduct but due to the additional complications, this work will now be done in summer 2026.
John says it will give drivers a ‘reprieve’ before work gets underway again.
A public information event is being held at Darrington Golf Club at 10am on Saturday 10th February for anyone who would like to ask questions or speak to the project team directly.