Esh completes Calderdale piling works
The contractor has reached a milestone with its programme of interventions to improve travel routes around Elland and West Vale, a package that includes two new bridges and links to a new railway station.
North of England contractor Esh Construction began work on the Elland Access Package project for Calderdale Council earlier in the year, after the green light was given by planners in November 2024.
Procured via YORhub’s YORcivil3 framework, the project has received funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the UK Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and is expected to cost around £22.6m.
The overarching brief is that the scheme should create easier and safer connections between Elland town centre and wider areas, and support access to the planned new Elland station.
In Elland, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge – crossing both the Calder & Hebble Navigation and the River Calder – will be constructed to provide direct connections between Park Road, Gas Works Lane, and Riverside Park. Existing pedestrian routes and the canal towpath will be upgraded and a new children’s play area created, alongside a variety of landscaping works to improve the surrounding environment and public spaces.
In West Vale, a second pedestrian and cycle bridge will be constructed to cross the Calder, providing a new travel route between West Vale and Elland via the Calder & Hebble Navigation. A connection to the new bridge will be created from Stainland Road through a new access route parallel to Black Brook.
Over a 15-day period, foundation works were progressed through an extensive piling operation. Using three piling rigs – including a compact rig that was lifted over the River Calder by a 300-tonne crane to access challenging locations – an average of eight concrete piles were installed per day. Piles ranged from 400mm to 500mm and extended up to 19 metres below ground level.
Paul Allen, contract manager at Esh Construction, said: “Completing this major milestone on site is a testament to the team and their civil engineering capabilities in delivering high-quality challenging projects. This scheme will make a real difference to the local community, and we are pleased to be playing our part in creating a catalyst for change in the area.”
Following the completion of the piling programme, excavation works were carried out around each pile group to the required foundation level. The top of the piles were then cropped to remove excess concrete, before reinforced concrete pile caps were constructed to create a robust foundation for the new bridges.
Esh is working on behalf of Calderdale Council. Cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Darren Commons, said: “The works in Elland and West Vale will create and improve routes to access the planned new station and travel between surrounding communities.
“As work progresses, we’ll be able to see how the improvements will make it easier to get around, creating new pleasant routes to link with existing infrastructure and ultimately supporting connections across the region.”
