Bypass closure due to pumping station failure

by Lisa Reeves

Tuesday 8^th February 2011

Tue 8^th Feb 2011

As we reported on Saturday, the A34 Alderley Edge bypass was closed for several hours during the afternoon due to flooding.

Police closed the road from approximately 3pm until 6pm on Saturday because of safety concerns.

Cheshire East Council have since confirmed that the flooding occurred due to the failure of part of the pumping equipment at Welsh Row which was repaired and replaced on Saturday afternoon.

Doug Mackie, Project Manager at Cheshire East, "There is the potential for flooding and road closures again. However, on the positive side, the pumping stations at both Welsh Row and Brook Lane are on a maintenance contract with a telemetry link to the maintenance company to highlight any problems. This worked, as they were aware of the problem and had despatched staff to address it prior to us making a call to them."

The three mile route includes 20km of drainage and two pumping stations. One has been installed at Brook Lane, to remove surface water from the carriageway, and another pumping station has been built at Welsh Row, which has a 12 metre diameter and is 14 metres deep. Both are completely buried below ground.

Tags:: A34 Bypass, Road Closures

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Mike Barry

Tuesday 8^th February 2011 at 9:50 pm

I'm just a simple, reserach chemist but to read: "There is the potential for flooding and road closures again. However, on the positive side, the pumping stations at both Welsh Row and Brook Lane are on a maintenance contract with a telemetry link to the maintenance company to highlight any problems. This worked, as they were aware of the problem and had despatched staff to address it prior to us making a call to them.".... Pathetic! It's like Scotty saying to Captain Kirk, "Ye don't worrying Captain, the dilithium crystals will be soooon repaired as we are on an intergalactic maintenance treaty that has telemetry." In the meantime, Klingons attack.

Being proud to open 6 months early is a terrific engineering achievement and all personnel should be congratulated. But to leave an edifice that now 'floods' , Doug, you have been handed a major design fault.

Mike Norbury

Thursday 10^th February 2011 at 1:27 pm

When they planned and then built the bypass I wonder just how much they took into account the fact that the route follows a band of shifting sand?

From Knutsford Road, Wilmslow throught the low part of Brook Lane to the back of Alderley cemetery has always had bits of problems, that's why the road dips near Chesham Road/Knutsford Road junction, no wonder they need a pumping station!

Simon Carden

Sunday 13^th February 2011 at 2:09 pm

I well remember my wife asked at the preconstruction meeting - held at Nether Alderley meeting rooms -the question regarding drainage and any unintended consequences the construction might have on the local hydrology. Down here on Welsh Row we are well aware that the surrounding fields are prone to flooding with ponds forming in the winter months and lasting throughout the following seasons. The local low spot is now under the bridge joining Soss Moss up with Welsh Row (eventually). The pumping station and tanks we watched being constructed here on Welsh Row are indeed massive and look man enough for the job, but the downside is it's all powered by electricity. One of the problems we are still left with in the area are frequent and unpredictable power cuts -- some lasting most of the day -- Do the maths!

Something else has occured which you may have thought predictable, is that with the removal of so many mature trees and mature hedgerows there is now standing water in fields where none existed previously ironically mostly in the fields that the pumping station now stands in!

Oh well, you can't say she didn't warn you!