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Road repairs--UK v Japan.


DonPeffers

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17 aug 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-53805891  "Technical challenges' face A68 landslide road repair".

 

MSP Rachael Hamilton called for an "urgent timetable" for repairs to the "vital arterial route".

 

Ms Hamilton, who represents Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, said reopening the route should be a priority. "Residents and businesses, including my constituents, along the route will have to suffer weeks of delays and diversions before things return to normal," she said.

 

Transport Scotland said enabling work had already started and it would deliver a timescale "in due course".

 

A68 was damaged during storm 11-12 August 2020. 

 

_113921542_a68collapse.jpg

 

Whereas in Japan 2011 post tsumani and earthquake...

 

24 March 2011 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369307/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-Road-repaired-SIX-days-destroyed.html

"The Japanese road repaired SIX days after it was destroyed by quake".

 

"The picture of gaping chasms in a Japanese highway demonstrated the power of the March 11 earthquake. Now the astonishing speed of reconstruction is being used to highlight the nation’s ability to get back on its feet. Work began on March 17 and six days later the cratered section of the Great Kanto Highway in Naka was as good as new. It was ready to re-open to traffic last night." 

 

article-1369307-0B4B564300000578-813_634

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Difference Don is that in the UK we have lost the will to say Just F...ing do it. Here we would have at least two dozen meetings before agreeing the spec.

 

Then before appointing the firm to do it they would have to tender with all of their diversity policies and any other desirable boxes ticked.

 

Then they would wait until a committee decided which quote to go for and before they could start work there would be bio study to undertake and if it was an old roman road an archaeology study.

 

If that all passed then they would start the job but as they have quoted so much it will have to take a long time otherwise the authorities will feel it has taken not long enough to to have cost so much.

 

This happened near Bath. A road collapsed and the council took so long a man built hos own bypass and recouped his money before they had done the road.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-28639196#:~:text=Mike Watts created the shortcut,February due to a landslip.&text=Mr Watts rented part of,road%2C bypassing the damaged highway.  

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Yes the "JFDI technique" is rapidly disappearing these days and  at people do not seem to have the power or responsibility to expedite work at an agreed timescale and cost.

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A few years back on one of my visits to Japan to see the in laws we had a load of builders turn up next to my Father in laws house at 7am with trucks and mini cranes etc to erect another house next door.. I thought great that's out annual holiday to Japan ruined with noise etc, anyway went out for the day came back about 8pm and the builders were on the roof of the new house having a few beers and finishing off the last roof tiles, I kid you not.. large 3 bed detached timber framed house done and dusted in a day, very impressive no messing about !

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The big difference , Japan is a major earthquake zone , so they should be used to structual damage and geared up to do the repairs quickly 

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With the A83 Rest and Be Thankful road closed virtually every year because of landslides and repairs we do get a fair bit of practice.

 

I reckon if UK had the same equipment and training as the Japanese road repairs guys we could knock a day off an 8 week project.

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There's a road back home in NZ near my house that has had so many slips over it's history, to the point where the Transport Authority has had enough and called it quits , and closed the road forever in 2017. And it's part of the SH3 major arterial route west-east in the lower North Island. Here's the death-knell slip...

image.png.eff26971260de0c163cbb0aaef275183.png

 

On the other side of the river is the rail line, which has copped it's fair share of slips too. Luckily, on the rail side there is plenty of tunnels, just not enough though...

image.png.e61c8fb668d675e436033390a51fa188.png

 

The closing of the gorge road, which was a sweet snaking flat ribbon that cut through the longitudinal range, means that the two fantastically twisty and quiet mountain roads north and south of the gorge have become the alternate routes, and consequently clogged up with 18-wheelers grinding up and over them. Which had I still been living there would have put paid to the perfect figure-8 Sunday afternoon blat circuit that I had from my house! And the mountain roads were just as good in either direction too. The Saddle Road to the north used to be a tarmac rally stage.

loop.jpg.03915d8d92e3ca572b011bfdd5b14e9a.jpg

 

There is to be a new road built 'up and over' on the north side of the gorge, which will mean that the Saddle Rd can return to it's fun status!...

Te-Ahu-a-Turanga-map.thumb.jpg.8ee90f7660a611d10a8edb7a014a0542.jpg

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