Decision details
Release of Funding from Advanced Design Work Programme for Stockton and Darlington Railway Bridge
Decision Maker: Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
Approval to allocate Advanced Design funding
to:-
(a)Feasibility Study and design options for a footbridge/cycle
bridge adjacent to Whessoe Road to facilitate the development of
the Stockton
and a walking/cycling route from this bridge to the existing route
adjacent to the River Skerne near Skerne Bridge – OR a tunnel
from Bonomi Way to MacNay Street underneath the railway, before
linking into the cycle route alongside the River Skerne.
As part of the development of the Stockton & Darlington Walking
and Cycling 26-mile route, we have been considering how the route
can work around the pinch point of the RHQ/North Road Station
site.
We need a route that meets the criteria for the Stockton &
Darlington Railway route i.e. as close to the line as possible; as
well as meets the aspirations for RHQ, ensuring that there can be a
secure site, a private siding, and Network Rail can retain their
access.
Having met Network Rail on site this week, a route on the west of
the line does not appear to be feasible due to the constraints of
the space available, both within Network Rail land and the adjacent
land ownership. Instead we have explored a possible route along the
east side.
To facilitate this a bridge would be required adjacent to Whessoe
Road. This has been discussed with both Network Rail and DBC
Highways and agreement reached that it is a credible option to work
up in more detail. It would be a similar situation to Parkgate
Bridge but on a smaller scale, i.e. construction off site and then
craning in the structure from the highway, adjacent to the
railway.
To take this to the next stage we need to commission some
feasibility work and initial advanced outline design. Based on the
feasibility work undertaken for Parkgate Bridge it is estimated
that it would cost about £30k. We do not have the resource
available in house.
We would manage the process through both the WSP work for TVCA and
the RHQ working group.
The second piece of feasibility work would look at whether it is
possible to provide a bridge or tunnel to avoid the pinch point on
Northgate.
There are two possible options - a bridge over Northgate parallel
with the existing rail over road bridge. The site is constrained by
the retail park but can make use of Network Rail land up until
Skerne Bridge and then the route will have to go back down the bank
to join the John Street route under the Skerne Bridge
The second is a tunnel under the railway, behind the wing wall (so
shouldn’t affect the existing bridge) and then link into
Macnay Street and the RHQ site.
This feasibility work would feed in directly to the RHQ access work
so needs doing sooner rather than later. As these ideas are more
‘ambitious’ a relatively quick feasibility study should
conclude whether to proceed or not with outline design. The cost is
estimated at £15k.
Decision:
To release up to £45k to undertake the
feasibility work in two separate commissions on the basis that one
commission can be undertaken by a bridge engineer but the other
will require specialist tunnel engineering experience specifically
associated with the railway.
To inform the Stockton and Darlington Railway project but also the
masterplan for the RHQ site which is being presented to Scrutiny in
September.
Alternative options considered:
WSP is carrying out feasibility work along the
Stockton & Darlington Railway route but their commission is
coming to an end and does not go into this level of detail.
There is currently no budget to deliver the Stockton &
Darlington Railway route.
Publication date: 19/08/2019
Date of decision: 07/08/2019