Revolutionary resurfacing on the A1 in Northumberland
A world first will be taking place on the A1 in Northumberland this month
National Highways will be trialling the use of graphene 바카라 사이트“ a material only one atom thick - in its road surfacing to see if it prolongs its lifespan.
If successful, using this high-tech product could see the operational life of key road features extended by바카라 사이트¯a number of바카라 사이트¯years, reducing the frequency of roadworks and making journeys for road users smoother and more reliable.바카라 사이트¯
The revolutionary resurfacing will take place along three miles of the northbound carriageway between Newton on the Moor and West Cawledge, south of Alnwick, from Sunday 19 September to Monday 1 November.
National Highways Asset Needs Manager Graeme Watt said:
This is an exciting time for National Highways.바카라 사이트¯We are constantly striving to improve the journeys of our customers and graphene has real potential to do that.바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
Laboratory trials have been a success and the on-site trials in Northumberland will be a world first use of graphene in road production,바카라 사이트¯which enforces our commitment to innovation and helps to push the industry towards more carbon-friendly maintenance with longer-lasting solutions which we all benefit from.
Graphene바카라 사이트™s benefits are industry-changing. It바카라 사이트™s stronger than steel and adding it to other materials can turn them into super materials. From what we바카라 사이트™ve seen so far,바카라 사이트¯it could make some of our assets last significantly longer.
Graphene is the name for a바카라 사이트¯single바카라 사이트¯sheet of carbon atoms, arranged in a honeycomb pattern. It is the building block of graphite 바카라 사이트” pencil lead 바카라 사이트” and is an incredibly strong,바카라 사이트¯conductive바카라 사이트¯and flexible바카라 사이트¯material. It can be used in a wide range of applications, from aerospace engineering to digital electronics and biomedicine.바카라 사이트¯
National바카라 사이트¯Highways is carrying out the trials with바카라 사이트¯the바카라 사이트¯Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre바카라 사이트¯(GEIC)바카라 사이트¯at The University of Manchester바카라 사이트¯and Pavement Testing Services (PTS).
To carry out the resurfacing safely and efficiently, the northbound carriageway will be closed 24/7, with traffic running in a contraflow, one lane in each direction, on the southbound carriageway. A number of crossovers will be closed and clearly signed diversions will be in place.
National Highways will also be resurfacing both carriageways of the A1 between Purdy Lodge and Detchant, although this work is not part of the graphene trial.
The work begins a week earlier on Monday 13 September and is due to be complete on 3 November. It will then be followed by sign replacement until the end of the month. Work will take place overnight Monday to Friday 8pm to 6am.
During the essential maintenance, which will give road users a safer, smoother journey, there will be various traffic management measures in place including full closures of the A1, junction closures and traffic being controlled by temporary lights and then taken through the work area by convoy.
Clearly signed diversions will be in place.
Details of both schemes are available at the web page.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the National Highways customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the National Highways press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.