Transport for Buckinghamshire: Resurfacing in Beaconsfield
Back in December 2020, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Transport, Nick Naylor, joined Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) during the resurfacing project on Aylesbury End and Station Road, Beaconsfield.
The scheme was initially planned for Spring 2021, however, in Summer 2020, deterioration was noticed and investigation works found that several sections of road surface had begun to break up and a more rapid solution was needed.
The construction of the replacement carriageway started on 23rd November 2020, following an accelerated design period. In order to reduce disruption to residents, businesses and the local schools, only limited sections of the road were worked on each day. The sections of road near to the schools were worked on over the weekends and members of the crew were always on hand to advise residents of the planned location of work each day.
During the project, TfB rectified underlying weaknesses in the road structure by removing 2,800 tonnes of deteriorated road material and replacing with new bituminous materials. Within the replaced material, the crew incorporated a layer of stronger reinforcement, providing enhanced strength and prolonging the lifespan of the road.
As well as the extensive work to the road surface, the investigations also discovered that a significant proportion of old materials were contaminated with tar-bound materials. Use of the reinforcement layer reduced the need for expensive removal and disposal of such material, in line with TfB’s environmental targets for minimising removal/use of virgin aggregates.
Not long into the project, a void was identified under a section of the carriageway. After investigation, the team found that the void was caused by the washing out of granular material beneath the road surface, through previous damage to drainage pipework. The drainage pipe was quickly replaced and the void filled, so the work on the road could continue as planned. Two other similar voids were also addressed during the works.
Unfortunately, the scheme did have an impact on local public transport, due to the closure of the bus stops on Station Road. TfB made arrangements with Carousel Buses to provide a free shuttle bus service between the Saracens Head and the Waitrose Roundabout during the work. Letters containing the updated information on the changes to public transport during the project were provided to local residents.
Commenting on the success of the work, Cabinet Member for Transport, Nick Naylor said: "It was a pleasure to join the team on site and see how much hard work had been put into this project. I was impressed by how quickly the crew had progressed in a short amount of time, even with the delays caused by the voids in the road. The meticulous planning and dedication to minimal disruption was very clear. Keep up the good work."
Due to the extent of the project, regular updates were provided to the public using TfB’s twitter account, along with photos so they could see the progress of the project.
