Quebec Street, Ulverston
Overview
The junction improvements at Quebec Street are part of a £4.5m package of infrastructure enhancements being delivered by Cumbria County Council on behalf of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership to support the economic growth of Ulverston and the surrounding area.
Quebec Street is a key route for accessing approximately 7 hectares of new employment land and new housing land capable of accommodating approximately 1500 dwellings.
Cumbria County Council appointed EWCE through the Capital Schemes Framework as the Principal Contractor to undertake the works that involve the creation of a signalised junction, including widening the A590 to create two lanes of approach on Quebec Street and improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities. The purpose of the junction improvement scheme is to improve safety for road users which is currently a significant issue and to tackle the short term deficiencies of the A590.
Key Challenges
The A590 is the main arterial route to Barrow-in-Furness with heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. EWCE implemented traffic management arrangements so that during the 20 week contract 2-way lights were in operation for only 9 days so minimising the disruption to traffic flows.
The works were undertaken in a busy residential area and regular communication with the local community concerning the progress and forthcoming works was essential.
Added Value
EWCE innovatively constructed a temporary crossover over the existing central reservation separating the east and west bound carriageways on the A590. This enabled EWCE to complete the final surfacing works on days and removed the need for other phasing scenarios such as road closures and night works, both of which would have caused a great deal of disruption to the local community and networks.
EWCE also provided marshals to guide and assist pedestrians navigate the temporary traffic management arrangements safely and to minimise disruption to the works.