Almost two years ago, Salford City Council was due to 'urgently' carry out £490,000 of repairs to the carriageway on Chapel Street after the original contractors, Urban Vision and Galliford Try, cocked up the original road 'improvements' and the Council received compensation (for full background see previous Salford Star article – click here)
That summer, the Council was due to remove the granite blocks and mortar bed, and, instead, lay a 'traditional bituminous road surface' covered in patterned imprinted concrete "to replicate the block paved carriageway in appearance".
The Council report at the time concluded that "Should the remedial works not be carried out and it is a cold, wet winter, the carriageway condition would likely deteriorate even further resulting in potential claims from road users against the Council and more of a struggle for developers to sell new apartments that have recently and are continuing to be built."
Now, a new Salford Council report understates that "Due to additional site investigations required by the utilities companies, changes in scope requested by the City Council and the Coronavirus pandemic, works have not been able to commence on site in the original intended timescales".
And the costs for the job have mushroomed to £1,559,269...
The original plan for 'imprinted concrete' has been rejected, states the Council report, because, "given the budgetary constraints, potential future maintenance liabilities and a change in thinking over the past decade about where to target feature surfaces on the highway, the decision was made to opt for a traditional bituminous road surface finish..."
Within those costs of over £1.5million is the provision of a lay-by for Salford Cathedral funerals in Great George Street around the corner, to stop hearses blocking the Chapel Street bus lane.
There's also £23,000 set aside for what looks like a tree autopsy. As part of the original works in 2011, eight trees were planted in the Chapel Street central reservation but, according to the report, 'a number' of them died, as did their replacements.
Sadly, the report adds, "the cause of the death of the trees is unknown" but it's reckoned there could be a problem with the root protection system. So they are going "excavate the central reservation" and carry out an investigation to be followed by "suitable measures to replace either the root infrastructure, the trees or both..."
The contract has been handed to AE Yates, and breaks down as £1.302million for the roadworks, £23,000 allowance for the trees and a 'risk allowance' of £234,073 "to be used in the event of unforeseen events"...
The risk to the Council is set as 'Medium' as the carriageway could deteriorate even further if the work is not carried out and, concludes the Council report, "This may result in potential claims from road users against the Council and more of a struggle for developers to sell new apartments that have recently and are continuing to be built..."
The work is, yet again, to be 'urgently' carried out this summer, if approved at a meeting next week...
Meanwhile, a further £4.8million is to be spent on walking and cycling routes along a section of Chapel Street, on the so-called 'Bee Network' between New Bailey Street and Blackfriars Street, which will, according to another Salford Council report, "reduce the dominance of general traffic" and "provide an attractive gateway into the city centre"...
Funding will come from the (GM) Mayor's Challenge Fund (£4.302million), the ECF (£190,000) and Section 106 contributions (£305,720), with work due to start in August and be completed by February 2022.
Update: 26th February - Two Consultants Paid £250,000 to Manage Salford Cycling and Traffic Schemes - click here
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