Roadworks - Why didn't they take advantage of quiet roads during lockdown?

[matacaster]

During best part of 2 years of covid, when roads were empty hardly any work was done. Now it seems many roads are being dug up by council (Barnsley and Huddersfield that's you) and utilities often alternative routes as well. As it was outdoors, why on earth wasn't this work done during covid?

 

[pdeaves]

What if no one turned up to work to do the job (lots of people isolating, etc.)? That will have a bearing but may not be the whole story.

 

[stuu]

During best part of 2 years of covid, when roads were empty hardly any work was done. Now it seems many roads are being dug up by council (Barnsley and Huddersfield that's you) and utilities often alternative routes as well. As it was outdoors, why on earth wasn't this work done during covid?

What makes you think there was the money available for anything new to be done? Council schemes usually take years to get through planning and financing. Also utilities would have carried on pretty much as normal, but they have no doubt built up a bit of a backlog with staff being off and changes to working methods etc

 

[bramling]

During best part of 2 years of covid, when roads were empty hardly any work was done. Now it seems many roads are being dug up by council (Barnsley and Huddersfield that's you) and utilities often alternative routes as well. As it was outdoors, why on earth wasn't this work done during covid?

It might not have helped that they would quite possibly have got “why aren’t you in lockdown?” type criticism from the blue hearts brigade.

On a more practical point, empty roads were only really a thing for a few weeks. It didn’t take long after March 2020 for traffic to start reappearing.

 

[bluenoxid]

Lots of work has been done during Covid. Pretty well all sites involving pre-planned work closed in lockdown 1. Restarting has been challenging. Many items need to come together to complete works and the lockdowns have impacted all of them.

It has been barely 18 months in the UK.

 

[yorkie]

During best part of 2 years of covid, when roads were empty hardly any work was done. Now it seems many roads are being dug up by council (Barnsley and Huddersfield that's you) and utilities often alternative routes as well. As it was outdoors, why on earth wasn't this work done during covid?

In many places, plenty of work has taken place during this time.

The roads were only really empty from late March through to mid May and to a lesser extent from early January to early March (where I am anyway); that's less than 4 months really, not nearly 2 years!

 

[bramling]

In many places, plenty of work has taken part during this time.

The roads were only really empty from late March through to mid May and to a lesser extent from early January to early March (where I am anyway); that's less than 4 months really, not nearly 2 years!

Round here there wasn't much of a dip this year at all, especially during the daytime. Late evenings were a bit quieter, but by no means empty.

The worst time was last summer during Eat Out To Help Out, pretty much the only time ever I've been stuck in traffic on a regular basis leaving London at 22:15 in the evening. Thanks Rishi!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In many places, plenty of work has taken place during this time.

The roads were only really empty from late March through to mid May and to a lesser extent from early January to early March (where I am anyway); that's less than 4 months really, not nearly 2 years!

Funnily enough, this also includes one of the local authorities mentioned in the OP, namely Kirklees (Huddersfield). Yes there's a lot been going on in recent weeks but there was a fair bit done during lockdown too.

 

[SCH117X]

Road works are often a shot in the dark despite all the pre planning thats takes place. A set of roadworks on the A61 in Killinghall North Yorkshire took weeks rather than days. The contractor having been given the all clear promptly discovered a stack of pipes not where any plans indicated they should be. Conseqentuially had wait for the service providers to give them clearance to work or for the service provider to come along and undertake their own works. Can quite imagine if that had occurred during lockdown it would have a far longer timescale.

 

[NoRoute]

I haven't seen a lot of road repairs in my local area recently.

I suspect the issue is funding, most councils are close to broke with barely the cash needed to fund the basic mandatory services, so there isn't the spare cash available to take advantage of opportunities when they come along.

 

[RichJF]

They did a lot in my area, now they're doing works again on the same original problem as the repairs failed as soon as the post-Covid traffic returned.

 

[Horizon22]

Also not to mention, like the railways (as similar people ask questions about doing engineering works last year) that 1) the engineering teams work be isolating / sick like everyone else and 2) planning comprehensive roadworks takes time and pre-planning.

 

[Bayum]

I don’t know where you live but where I am, Leeds City Council took full advantage of it.

 

[theblackwatch]

I don’t know where you live but where I am, Leeds City Council took full advantage of it.

I thought Harrogate had taken all of Yorkshire's cones until I drove through Leeds.

I think something else that needs to be taken into account is the availability of materials, particularly during lockdown, to undertake the work. A lot of construction projects have suffered from this (and are continuing to do so) during the pandemic, and costs are rising too.

 

[bluenoxid]

I don’t know where you live but where I am, Leeds City Council took full advantage of it.

Not according to the opposition politicians who have spent their time politicking.

The real fun begins when they start on Armley Gyratory.

 

[deltic]

There were major issues in having to change working practices to ensure social distancing on site plus there is only so much equipment and people available and that's before taking account of shielding etc.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Quite a lot was done in my area too during the first lock-down, taking advantage of the low level of traffic. Unfortunately, some of the repairs look like they've been done by those dodgy blokes who offer to tarmac your front garden; just tar slapped down with no attempt to roll it in, so instead of pot-holes there are loads of tar patches standing proud of the surrounding road surface. The Petersham Road down from Richmond Bridge is appalling.