Ground investigation work gets under way

Much of this work involves testing the different types of ground conditions along the route including soil types and groundwater monitoring. We’re using ground penetrating radar and have up to ten crews operating from two site compounds on the A66, drilling approximately 300 boreholes and digging 300 inspection pits to collect the information.

Although we’ve been carrying out lot of work behind the scenes for several years, the investigations which started earlier in the spring are among the first visible signs that the project is taking shape.

These ground investigations will help us to refine the designs of the several new bypasses and upgrades of the existing road as part of the £1 billion A66 Trans-Pennine project.

This work is vitally important as we head towards a final public consultation on the options and submitting our application to the Planning Inspectorate which, subject to the outcome, will allow us to start construction in 2024.

We’ve created a video to explain the ground investigation process which is part of programme of surveys looking at topography, biodiversity, habitat, noise, air quality and cultural heritage.