The Outlane to Hartshead Section travels the Elland escarpment along which, because of its numerous steeps cloughs, the motorway passes alternately from short deep cuts onto short but high embankments, and extensive benching of the embankments into the steep hillside. Along this length is situated the Ainley interchange which, because of the difficult terrain, had to be situated away from the existing roads which serve it. For this reason a new dual carriageway link road was built to a new roundabout constructed on the A629 Huddersfield - Elland class I road.
Whitehaughs Arch carries the motorway over the realigned Huddersfield Road A629 to Elland at a skew angle of approximately 10 degrees. The bridge is an in situ reinforced concrete fixed arch with a clear span between abutment faces of approximately 88 ft. at springing level and a rise from road level to the crown of approximately 37 ft. The arch is approximately 443 ft. long and is constructed to a horizontal curve of 716 ft. radius and carries a 20 ft. embankment above the crown.
Information adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
