Todwick: Road re-opened but delays ahead

One of the new carriageways has re-opened allowing drivers to get to grips with the new layout.

The 1.5 mile stretch of road is being straightened out as part of a £14.7 million scheme by Rotherham Council.

The aim is to eliminate the notorious ‘Todwick bends’ where many crashes have happened over the years.

But while progress seems to be moving along quickly, contractors Ringway said there would be further disruption ahead before the road is finished.

Work started last September and they expect it to be complete by the end of February 2014.

A spokesman for Rotherham Council said further ‘extensive traffic changes and delays’ would happen in the meantime.

Work is currently focussed on the norther carriageway, which will run eastbound when the road is ready.

Parts of the old road are being removed where it crosses with the new.

Traffic will hopefully move to the northern carriageway in early December and will flow on both carriageways after the new year.

The council said that traffic would initially be restricted to one lane in each direction as the scheme moves towards completion.

And while traffic is using the northern carriageway only, there will be no access to or from Goosecarr Lane at its junction with the A57.

When it comes to finishing work on Kiveton Lane there will be one-way closures. These can be expected before December.

The authority said ‘significant disruption’ was likely near the M1 roundabout at junction 31 during extra resurfacing near Hardwick Lane.

Plans are still being finalised for this stage, but it is expected the A57 will have to close in one direction.

This will also be the case when the new Todwick roundabout undergoes final resurfacing work, closing Todwick Road and Kiveton Lane. But all closures will be at night time to minimise disruption.

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