Tinsley Viaduct: Closure of major route near Sheffield will end this weekend

Scaffolding has come down, resurfacing of the footway is taking place and the northbound closure of the A631 will be lifted by Monday at the latest (September 26).

Cadent, which manages the local gas distribution network, said they needed to carry out work on a series of pipes on the lower tier, and has called it “one of the most challenging jobs in years”.

It led to the A631 closing in late June and redirecting traffic around nearby roads.

The closure initially caused congestion in the area on the first week as motorists adjusted.

Geoff Radley, Cadent’s Head of Energy Operations for this area, said: “This has to be one of our most challenging jobs for many years.

“These pipes are part of a network that helps heat homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings in Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley.

“While most of our gas network is underground – beneath roads and fields – some run above ground, like here at Tinsley Viaduct.

“This obviously brings very different challenges – and it needed lots of planning to decide the best way to do this safely, with least impact.

“We’d liaised for months with highways teams, councils, Meadowhall, South Yorkshire Police, businesses and more, to try to keep our unavoidable disruption to a minimum and finish as soon as we safely could.

“We know it’s been frustrating for motorists, in having to follow the diversion, and just want to say thank you for bearing with us.”