South Yorkshire Times, March 21st, 1970
How Mexborough Got Its Relief Road
The traffic congestion occurring in High Street and Bank Street, Mexborough, has for some time indicated the need for a road improvement to be carried out. These streets, in addition to being the main shopping streets, form part of the Wath-upon-Dearne and Conisbrough County Road A.6023, which is the main traffic route through the town, and the road is narrow and tortuous with inadequate footpaths for the number of pedestrians using them.
A scheme for the widening of High Street and Bank Street was prepared before the last war but never carried out. In 1962 the problem was investigated again and it became apparent that for modern traffic conditions the provision of a Relief Road would be a more satisfactory solution than widening the existing road, which would have involved the demolition of property, including many shops for the full length on one side
Demolition
Whilst the construction of the Relief Road did involve the demolition of 195 houses, a scissors factory, a fire station, a police station and two places of worship, much of the property was old and in poor condition, and the route of the Relief Road has been sited to accommodate the requirements of the future redevelopment of the central area.
Travelling from Wath-upon-Dearne, the Relief Road diverges to the south of the existing route near Cowood Street and consists of a 33ft. wide carriageway as far as the new roundabout at the junction with Swinton Road. From there to the junction with Adwick Road and Doncaster Road near its eastern end, the Relief Road consists of dual 24 ft. wide carriageways, the anticipated traffic flow on this length being greater due to the addition of traffic joining the relief road at the Swinton Road roundabout. The total length of new road is just over three quarters of a mile.
Near the market place a fly-over has been constructed to enable vehicles approaching from an easterly direction to reach the centre of Mexborough without having to make a right turn. The bridge over the Relief Road carrying the curving slip road is a reinforced concrete bridge with a span of 78ft., being of a cantilever and suspended span construction with pre-stressed beams and a reinforced concrete deck retaining wall.
Retaining Wall
Between the flyover and the eastern end of the scheme several lengths of mass concrete retaining wall have been constructed in order to keep the demolition of property to a minimum. Several streets which were intersected by the Relief Road have become cul-de-sacs so as to limit the number of access points, and turning spaces and lengths of service road have been constructed as necessary. In a built-up area of this nature a large number of gas and water mains, and electricity and Post Office cables have had to be altered or adjusted, and the cost of this work is quite considerable.
A public enquiry was held in October 1966 to hear objections against the West Riding County Council’s application for planning permission and against the proposed compulsory purchase order, and when the Minister’s decision was announced in late 1967 the County Council’s proposals were upheld.
The tender of Holland and Hannen and Cubitts (Civil Engineering) Ltd for the construction of the Relief Road was accepted and construction work started in April 1968. the total estimated cost of the Relief Road, a large proportion of which is for the acquisition of land and property and for rehousing is £1,602.000.
The scheme was designed and supervised by the Highways and Bridges Dept of the West Riding County Council under the direction of the County Engineer and Surveyor Mr. J. A. Gaffney B. Sc. (Eng)., F.I.C.E. M.I.H.E. and the contractors are Messrs. Holland and Hannen and Cubitts (Civil Engineering). The Relief Road will be opened at 3pm today (Friday) by County Alderman Major J. H. Hudson C.B.E., M.C., D.L., the Chairman of the County Council.