A major visible changes to Kemplay Roundabout has begun, with National Highways starting the overnight felling of trees as preparations get underway for the complete transformation of the junction as part of the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine upgrade.
The tree clearance is expected to take place over the next 48 hours, removing the trees that currently surround the roundabout and opening up the site ahead of the next phase of preparatory works.
Once the trees have been cleared, contractors will begin moving utilities that currently run beneath the roundabout. The work is necessary before the existing junction can eventually be removed and construction of the new A66 layout can begin.
Further utility works will take place in October, when United Utilities is scheduled to move water mains in the area. The work will require Kemplay Bank to be closed over four nights to allow the water main works to be carried out.
The utility diversions form part of the extensive preparation needed before construction can progress on the new junction. A network of existing underground services has to be identified, protected or relocated before the new road infrastructure can be built.
The changes at Kemplay will ultimately go far beyond the removal of the trees.
The existing Kemplay Roundabout will be completely removed as the A66 upgrade reaches this section of the route. In its place, the A66 will pass through a new underpass, carrying traffic towards Junction 40 and changing the way traffic moves through the junction.
The A6 will then pass over the new A66 using two bridges, creating a grade-separated junction rather than the existing roundabout arrangement.
The result will be a completely different road layout at one of the key gateways into Penrith.
The scale of the eventual works means the landscape around Kemplay will change substantially. The familiar roundabout, its surrounding trees and the existing road configuration will disappear as the new A66 infrastructure is constructed.
For drivers approaching Penrith from the south and east, Kemplay is currently one of the first major junctions encountered on the approach to the town. Its transformation will therefore be one of the most noticeable changes delivered by the A66 project in the Penrith area.
The work currently taking place is still preparation for the main construction phase, but the removal of the trees marks a significant physical change to the site.
What has for many years been a tree-lined roundabout will progressively become a major construction site as the A66 scheme moves forward, with the final layout replacing the existing Kemplay junction with an underpass for the A66 and two bridges carrying the A6 over the upgraded route.
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