Press release: Mucking in together in Tyneside

Around 80,000 cubic meters of soil, that’s enough to fill 32 Olympic sized swimming pools, is being reused to help form the embankments on a nearby scheme.

By reusing this material it will benefit both schemes by reducing vehicle movements and costs. Transporting the soil will involve more than 10,000 lorry movements totalling over 60,000 miles.

The A19 Coast Road scheme is digging deep to remove the earth to form an underpass, creating the first triple decker roundabout in the North East.

As the soil is removed it will be transported to a site in Wardley where it will be stored to create the embankments for the A19 Testo’s scheme.

Highways England’s project manager for the A19 Testos scheme Paul Ahdal said:

This is just one of the many examples where Highways England is re-using materials which will not only reduce costs but also provide environmental benefits for both schemes.

Both of the schemes will provide smoother journeys for drivers along the A19 as they will no longer needing to negotiate the roundabouts. Work on the A19 Coast Road involves digging out an underpass and the A19 Testo’s involves creating a flyover structure over the roundabout. The excess soil will be used to form the embankments for the Testo’s scheme which is due to start in 2019 in the same year Coast Road is due to be completed.

This is just one of the ways the A19 Coast Road team is re-using or recycling excess material from site in line with Highways England’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

Around 250 tonnes of the old road surface has been donated to Benton Quarry Park in Benton and 160 metres of steel fence from the central reservation has been donated to Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.