The new 5.5-kilometre Congleton link road, now officially open for use, joins the A534 Sandbach Road (to the west of Congleton) with the A536 Macclesfield Road (to the north of the town), increasing connectivity by improving travel between Macclesfield, Congleton and the M6.
Due to its location in Northwest England, the link road had been identified as requiring a long-lasting and robust road surface, capable of sustaining heavy flows of traffic. Working in partnership with GRAHAM, Tarmac recommended the use of its ULTIPAVE M asphalt for the resurfacing of the road – a high performing solution designed to provide a durable surface with the ability to withstand heavily trafficked routes, whilst reducing road noise and surface spray.
Laid with the assistance of paver averaging beams to provide the best possible finished surface, Tarmac supplied and laid 12,000 tonnes of the specialist asphalt as part of a 79,000-tonne surfacing package. In addition, the business also supplied 122,000 tonnes of high-grade aggregates and 18,000 cubic metres of concrete from its Tunstead site near Buxton, Derbyshire.
Named after Congleton’s famous pioneering educationalist and campaigner for votes for women, Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy, the £90 million link road will relieve the town of heavy congestion, particularly at peak times, cut pollution, and improve air quality.
Adam Jogee, project manager at Tarmac, said: “Over the past 18 months, despite the challenges of last year, our team pulled together to deliver nothing short of a first-class service. During the last six weeks of the project, the team worked throughout the day and night with increased resources, to ensure the link road would open as scheduled.
“The project has been completed to an extremely high standard and is testament to the efforts of all of the teams on-site. Through embracing innovation and effective collaborative working with GRAHAM, we were able to react to changes quickly, delivering the project within the timeframe outlined. We’re extremely proud to have been a part of this ground-breaking project which will improve traffic flow, reduce delays, and bring economic and social regeneration to the town of Congleton.”
The Congleton link road opened early for pedestrians to walk and cycle along before opening to vehicles. During construction, site teams and hauliers were fully briefed to always adhere to Covid-19 guidelines and government regulations on site.
Tarmac Contracting is the UK’s leading supplier of highways surfacing, operating a fleet of 124 surfacing and planing machines which lay around 3.5 million tonnes of asphalt each year on projects ranging from the resurfacing of motorways, roads, and pathways to the construction of car parks, runways and running tracks.
