Level crossing in
sutton-in-ashfield
This level crossing in Sutton-in-Ashield is situated on the outskirts of the town.
Originally a relatively quiet road, over the last 20 years there has been significant industrial development around the site meaning level crossing usage has increased dramatically.
In addition a new roundabout near the crossing means that at times road traffic needs to stop quickly or brake heavily on the crossing. For safety a high grip surface, even in the wet, was required.
Parts of the level crossing were estimated to be at least 20 years old. Inevitably, millions of tons of road and rail traffic in this time had taken its toll on the crossing, the rail infrastructure and the foundations. The decision was taken by Network Rail to renew the crossing, and after considering the options it was decided that the option that met the requirements was a Polysafe polymer level crossing with its high grip topping, which gives a significantly higher grip than other level crossing decks.
The installation was completed by Works Infrastructure Limited, making use of night-time hours which minimised the impact on road and rail traffic. As well as shoring up the foundations and installing the level crossing, the road approaches were re-aligned to be more suitable for the traffic flow. The final touch was the application of the road markings, applied in the knowledge that they will last for many years a key safety advantage over other level crossing types.
The result is a smoother ride for road and rail traffic alike, with improved safety features higher grip, more visible road markings and a more even surface.
