A34 Corridor StrategyStrategic Route Improvements25th November 2004

working together with

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Introductions

- Andy Willis, Project Manager- Senior Engineer, Local Roads and Traffic Team, West

Midlands

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Traffic and Local Roads Team

- What Do We Do?

- Conceptual design

- Preliminary design

- Modelling

- Public consultation

- Safety work

- Detailed design

- Contract preparation

- Site supervision

- Wide range of skills and projects.

- Maximising existing road space.

- Improving sustainable forms of transport.

- Projects have short timescale to construction.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Preliminary Design: A34 Corridor Study - Background

- FaberMaunsell commissioned by Sandwell MBC via Centro term commission to carry out study on A34 in Sandwell.

- This section of dual carriageway is a main entry point into West Midlands conurbation via Junction 7 of M6 and suffers from serious congestion problems, especially in both morning and evening peak periods.

- Study to embrace Bus Showcase, Red Routes initiatives.

- Consider the impact of Metro (Light Rail) on the corridor.

- Use of micro-simulation modelling.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

A34 Corridor Study – Bus Showcase

- Bus Showcase

- West Midlands tool – Partnership with authorities and bus operators

- Improvement of all aspects of bus journey to make travel by bus more desirable.

- Improvements measured against set of targets.

•Network Access

•Integration

•Accessible Design

•Frequency

•Reliability

•Journey Times

•Promotion

•Information

•Customer Care

•Attractiveness/Comfort

•Personal Security

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

A34 Corridor Study – Red Routes

- Red Routes- More efficient use of existing road space.

- Controlling parking and loading activity- Improving junction operation- Addressing accident problems- Improving pedestrian movements

- “No Stopping” rather than “No Waiting”- “Red” lines to emphasise important route.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

A34 Corridor Study – Proposals and Solutions

- 4km Length of Dual Carriageway from Old Walsall Road junction (Birmingham Boundary) in South to Merrions Close (Walsall Boundary).

- Project looked at entire corridor

- Main junctions on corridor- Old Walsall Road junction- Scott Arms Junction- M6 Junction 7- Chapel Lane

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Old Walsall Road Junction

- ISSUES

- Desire to remove existing subway facility.

- U-turning traffic south of Scott Arms junction.

- High speeds of vehicles using parallel merge combined with poor visibility from Jayshaw causing concern with local people.

- PROPOSALS

- Provide street-level crossing points.

- Junction re-aligned and signalised to permit right turning out of Old Walsall Road

- Re-align junction and signalised left turn out of Old Walsall Road

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Scott Arms Junction

- PROPOSALS

- Change order of signal stages to improve capacity

- Provide staggered pedestrian crossing facility across Queslett Road

- Bus lanes provided on approach to maintain benefit to buses in future years

- ISSUES

- Heavy congestion in peak periods

- No pedestrian stage across Queslett Road.

- High levels of queuing in future years

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

M6 Junction 7

- PROPOSALS

- Signalise entries onto gyratory.

- Manage traffic by relocating queues on network.

- ISSUES

- High levels of queuing on both approaches to the gyratory

- In future years high volume of traffic on gyratory creates risk of severe congestion to the network

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Chapel Lane Junction

- PROPOSALS- Convert to signalised junction to control

movements at junction.- Include at-grade crossing facilities as part

of junction.

- Bus lane provided on southbound approach to ensure benefits to bus maintained.

- ISSUES

- Right turning accident problem

- Recognised rat run

- Desire to remove existing subway

- High level of queuing in future years

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Predicted Benefits From Route ImprovementsJourney Time

- AM peak

- Southbound- 5 minutes saving for general traffic- 2 minutes saving for buses

- Northbound- No change in journey time for general traffic- 2 minutes saving for buses

- PM peak

- Southbound- No change in journey time for general traffic- 1 minutes saving for buses

- Northbound- 3 minutes saving for general traffic- 2 minutes saving for buses

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Predicted Benefits From Route ImprovementsOther

- Future Years- Design year 2011- Benefits are maintained.- Corridor can be controlled using queue relocation.

- Pedestrian Facilities- Conversion of subways to at-grade crossing facilities.- Extra pedestrian crossings.- Raised entry treatments at side roads.

- Parking and Loading- Removal of double parking at Scott Arms (Birmingham).- Minimal loss of parking spaces.- Extra provision for loading.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

How Will the Scheme Progress?

- Consultation with general public, October 2004

- Successful response

- Minor amendments required to scheme

- Detailed design and contract preparation, Spring-Summer 2005

- Possible construction and site supervision, December 2005

- Monitoring success of scheme, Autumn 2006 – Spring 2007

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004

Thank you for listening.

Any questions?