How more are A1 (M) Roadwork became a nightmare for villages

Two and a half years ago, a range of repair of required repair began on a stretch of A1 (M) on the border of West and South Yorkshire.

Work on the Ventbridge Viadcts and Wentage Road Bridge was finished by 2024 in summer, but after the discovery of the defects, the date of completion was pushed back by the end of this year.

Carizways was converted into single-lane running through the work area, causing long tailbacks as traffic is forced to queue to enter the remaining lane.

Instead, the driver is leaving motorways and “rats running” through small villages to avoid an hour’s delay on the approach of the Viadct.

The 54 -year -old Tom Stanley has been stuck in the jam regularly since the A1 (M) with Pontefact from Doncaster, and in February 2023, and has been stuck in the jam regularly since work started in February 2023.

“This is very disappointing. I sit and grind it; it is always a jam.”

The Viadct Bridge, which was opened in 1961, is a solid structure carrying A1 (M) above the river.

Grade II-Listed, required an identity identified inspections of necessary repairs on the internationally renowned bridge, which was once selected for the feature at the twentieth century engineering exhibition in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

As part of the £ 30M project, the National Highway is also replacing the Central Pier at the Wentage Road Bridge.

This includes work on parapets, joints and surfacing.

Since the upgrade begins, Mr. Stanley’s 25-minute journey has been an hour-to-a-half hours and he has seen the results of the disappointed driver behavior.

“You look at bumps every three weeks on an average, people try to reduce the past (in single lane) and they brake in the last minute.”

Mr. Stanley has now discovered alternative routes that bypass the affected stretch of A1 (M).

“I know that in every way every farmer’s farm, every track – but it can be equally bad if everyone has the same idea.

“Everyone is taking a shortcut.”

A village that suffers from redirected traffic is Darrington, one of the final turn-offs available before the lane is closed.

On the route of Old Great North Road, it was bypassed by modern A1 in the 1970s, and the residents thought they thought they had seen behind the crowd.

Denis Burns, president of the 71 -year -old Parish Council, said he struggled to remember what life was before the roadwork.

“We have the worst thing that is trying to get out of Lauries A1, around the island and back again.

“A1 blocks and the lories cannot get back.

“If you are waiting for the slip to come under the road, you cannot go to the village – it can be a 45 -minute delay.”

In Darrington’s fields, crawling traffic can be seen on A1 (M).

Despite indicating that there is no access to vehicles more than a certain weight range, HVV is using the village as a diversion route.

“Burns said,” It is very difficult to cross the road when you get a car after a car or a lorry. ,

Ventbridge is about three miles south of Darrington.

A person, who has been in the village for eight years, said that the thunder of traffic can be heard from 05:30 am.

“Sometimes they are rightly queued at the top of the hill,” he said.

“We are very Jugornots coming down which is a major problem in the tea; they find it extremely difficult to turn around the corner.

“Some people have damaged their cars, one or two assets also damaged.

“We get oral misuse from drivers; last few years have really been a bad dream.

“There have been a lot of accidents at the intersection, it is dangerous; the people of Ventbridge are fed up with it.

“Nobody cares, no one seems accountable, no one pays attention to how people feel about it”.

National highways extended the project deadline after highlighting “issues” during roadwork.

A spokesperson told the BBC: “When we started the demolition work at the ghat at the ventage road bridge, endoscopic surveys highlighted several hidden defects, requiring a comprehensive repair to the end of the concrete of the bridge deck.

“We need to ensure that the bridge remains safe and needs minimal repair in future.

“Meanwhile, work on the construction of a new central column on the ventage road bridge continues, restoring central reservation, the Wentbridge Viadcts meets waterproofing and comprehensive drainage reforms.

“We apologize for delay and any inconvenience for this reason.

“Security is our top priority and it is necessary that we take necessary steps to ensure long -term security of these structures.

“It is a complex and complex plan and, until we started work on the bridge, it was not possible to identify the required repair limit.”

The date of completion is now December 2025, but the residents told the BBC that they do not believe that the work will be finished on time.

“Anyone feels that whatever we have been told, there is no faith in it,” the retirement continued.

“It just seems to be ending never”.