HIGHWAYS England have announced they will shortly be commencing investigative work associated with the proposed route of the Lower Thames Crossing.

This will cause disruption on many local roads until August 2020.

The agency says surveys will help them plan the utility diversions that would be required to build the Lower Thames Crossing. This will help them to improve their proposals and to develop their application for the Development Consent Order.

They will carry out the works using a vacuum excavator. The vacuum excavator uses compressed air to loosen or agitate the ground, which can then be removed using the vacuum on the machine. At times they will also use hand-digging to ensure safety of the services.

The two survey methods of Utility Trial Trenching surveys they will use are:

Trial holes

They will carry out the majority of the works using trial holes. The vacuum excavator is used on both the road and the walkways. An operative will park the excavator in a safe location to carry out the work. If the work is being done on the road, there will be traffic management installed, including full road closures or lane closures with temporary traffic lights in place. The detail is outlined below. Where access is needed onto the walkway, a diversion will put be in place for pedestrians.

Prior to any trial holes works they will need to carry out pre-works inspections to verify the exact location of the trial holes. This may require some short term traffic management.

Each location will take between one and three shifts to complete.

Non-invasive investigations

In addition to the trial holes, they will identify utility features, survey them and open chambers. Where possible this will be completed under the traffic management for the trial hole works. However in some cases they may need additional traffic management to complete some non-invasive works.

Over the next six months work in Thurrock will include:

Stanford Rd Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 1 week – Night-time

Baker Street Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 3 days– Day-time

Rectory Rd Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 3 days – Night-time

Buckingham Hill Rd Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 3 days – Night-time

Heath Road Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 3 days– Day-time

M25 J30-28 Trial holes – lane closures 1 week – Night-time

B187 St Marys Ln Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 1 week – Night-time

Fort Rd/Gun Hill Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 3 days – Night-time

Ockenden Rd Trial holes – lane closures with temporary traffic lights. 7 days – Night-time

A13/A1089 Junction Trial holes – slip road closure with traffic diverted to the next junction to return on the opposite carriageway. 3 days – Night-time

B186 North Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 2 weeks – Night-time

Brentwood Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 3 days – Night-time

Hoford Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 3 days – Night-time

A127 @ J29 Trial holes – full road closure. 2 days – Night-time

Princess Margaret Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 3 days – Night-time

Station Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 5 days – Night-time

Muckingford Rd Trial holes – full road closure. 3 days – Night-time

Folkes Ln Trial holes – full road closure. 3 days – Night-time

Non-invasive investigations

Stifford Clays Rd Lane closures with temporary traffic signals 1 day– Night-time

Hornsby Ln Road closure. 1 day – Night-time

B186 North Rd Lane closures with temporary traffic signals.

While the works may cause some disruption, they will ensure that they put mitigation measures in place to minimise noise.

Due to the nature of the works, their works vehicles will use flashing lights for the safety of both the road users and their workforce.

All access to properties will be maintained throughout the duration of the works.

At times there will be lane closures with two-way traffic lights in place. This is required for the safety of both the road users and their workforce.

Where it is not possible for them to carry out the necessary works using lane closures, they will install road closures. They will do so at nighttime only with a fully signed diversion route in place. Additional communications will be sent to local residents regarding specific road closures.

The working hours will be Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 3pm, or carried out at night-time in high traffic areas, between 8pm and 6am, Monday to Friday.