Highways Agency

Improving reliability and easing congestion

We recognise that congestion on our road network is one of our customers' major concerns and we are making it a priority to tackle this in support of the Department for Transport's PSA targets. During 2002-03 we worked towards this by working on improving the network, managing the traffic using the network and influencing travel behaviour by developing improved information.

Improving our Network

Our approach in 2002-03

Major schemes are aimed at helping to improve journey time reliability and safety and cost in excess of £5 million. Each scheme is individually approved and announced by the Secretary of State. They become part of a rolling programme known as the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI), which, along with individual scheme delivery milestones, is published annually in our Business Plan.

In 2002-03 Ministers set a performance target of achieving at least 48 out of the total 51 published milestones. These milestones cover the development of each improvement scheme from the earliest public consultation to the end of construction and road opening. We also have a programme of smaller scale Early Action Schemes to ease congestion at specific locations on the strategic road network.

Our performance in 2002-03

We met 45 of the milestones published in the Business Plan. While 6 slipped into 2003-04, we progressed 6 other new schemes that entered the Targeted Programme of Improvement after publication of the Business Plan to their next key stage. We also achieved the early delivery of 2 major bypass schemes (A6 Clapham Bypass and A5 Nesscliffe Bypass) that were due to complete in 2003-04.

Case study - Silverstone Bypass

Local residents and visitors to the British Grand Prix, held in July 2002 at Silverstone, benefited from the early opening of the Silverstone Bypass – part of the A43 improvement scheme. Motor racing fans had an early opportunity to use part of the new bypass to reach the racing circuit, thereby helping to reduce the traditionally high levels of congestion associated with this world famous event.

The project, part of the Targeted Programme of Improvements aimed at tackling congestion and improving safety, was fully opened in September 2002 and marks the completion of the A43 Towcester to M40 dualling scheme. The new stretch of road will remove an estimated 22,000 vehicles a day from local communities. The bypass project was completed in 16 months despite early delays caused by the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.

During the year, the following road schemes opened to traffic adding over 85km of high quality roads to the Agency's network:

• A27: Polegate Bypass
• A43: Silverstone Bypass
• A43: Whitfield Turn – Brackley Hatch Improvement
• A43: M40 – B4031 Dualling
• A6: Great Glen Bypass
• A11: Roudham Heath – Attleborough Improvement
• A1: Willowburn – Denwick Improvement
• A66: Stainburn & Great Clifton Bypass
• A6: Clapham Bypass
• A5: Nesscliffe Bypass

The 6 scheme milestones that slipped into 2003-04 were:

• A2 Bean-Cobham Phase 2: The Publication of Draft Orders and Environmental Statement was delayed to take advantage of a more innovative form of procurement.
• A46 Newark-Widmerpool: The Preferred Route Announcement was deferred to allow further consideration of the impact of a proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers.
• A303 Stonehenge: The Publication of Draft Orders and Environmental Statement was delayed to allow further consideration of tunnel options.
• M25 Widening J12-15: The award of contract was deferred to allow further consideration with our partner, the BAA, before announcing the successful bidder.
• A38 Dobwalls: Issues raised in the public consultation required further consideration before the preferred route could be announced.
• A483 Pant Llanymynech: Further consideration of scheme costs and objectives, means the public consultation has not yet taken place.

We continued to participate in the ongoing multi-modal and road based studies, which resulted in 21 new schemes entering the Targeted Programme of Improvements in 2002-03. We also completed all but 7 of the remaining 22 early action schemes to tackle congestion.

Looking to the future

We published an updated list of 49 scheme milestones in our 2003-04 Business Plan and Ministers set a performance target of achieving at least 47 of the 49. This included a milestone for the start of works on the A34 Chieveley/M4 J13 Improvement Scheme. This milestone was actually achieved in 2002-03 following the publication of the 2003-04 Business Plan and it has been agreed with our Department that we should achieve at least 46 of the 48 remaining milestones in 2003-04, which can broadly be summarised as follows:

• Road Opening - 10 schemes.
• Start of Works - 8 schemes.
• Public Inquiry - 8 schemes.
• Publish Draft Orders/Environmental Statement - 3 schemes.
• Award of Contract -0 16 schemes.
• Preferred Route Announcement - 2 schemes.
• Public Consultation - 1 scheme.

We will continue our programme development on schemes that are the subject of multi-modal and road based studies and to contribute our expertise and input into these schemes. This has led to the Secretary of State approving a number of important additions to the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) in 2003-04.

Managing Traffic

Our approach in 2002-03

Delays caused by volume of traffic, incidents and road works lead to frustration for road users and higher costs for industry. With vehicle ownership rising steadily, demand is forecast to increase even further. Better management of traffic and better information can help, using new technology and management techniques such as variable speed limits, currently in use on the M25.

Our performance in 2002-03

To meet our targets for improving reliability, during the year we:

• Ensured that at least 90% of routine maintenance was carried out outside of peak hours.
• Installed automatic hold-up warning systems on a further 200km of motorway - providing improved information about delays to road users.
• Installed nearly 600 additional electronic variable message signs (VMS), bringing the total number to over 1,400.
• Worked closely with the police to enable a quicker response to incidents - introducing an improved communications network and more incident support units.

Looking to the future

As part of the implementation of the Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport, the Agency and the police are working together to strengthen the way England's motorway and trunk road network is managed. This includes the transfer of lead responsibility of certain tasks from the police to the Agency.

The National Traffic Control Centre near Birmingham is due to be operational in 2004. It will provide a state-of-the-art facility for traffic management and information. Monitoring the Agency's network of motorways and major roads to provide information on traffic conditions, road works and incidents as well as suggesting alternative routes, it will use traffic loops and cameras to check road conditions and traffic flow. Information will also be exchanged with police control rooms, Highways Agency Maintaining Agents and local authorities. Arrangements are being put in place with these organisations to ensure that the National Traffic Control Centre works in partnership with those responsible for existing systems and shares information for mutual benefit.

Once operational, the National Traffic Control Centre will play a key role in delivering our objective of 'Reliable Journeys and Informed Travellers'. This will be done by disseminating accurate, real-time traffic information to drivers through telephone and website services and via the media, so they can better plan their journeys. In addition, a network wide service of uniformed Traffic Officers will be recruited to deal with incident and accident management, in partnership with the police. These Traffic Officers will undertake several of the support and ancillary road management tasks currently handled by the police including abnormal route planning, answering emergency roadside telephones and dealing with the traffic consequences of an incident.

Case study - Responding to incidents

Quick response motorbikes were launched on the M60 motorway in November 2002, joining a team of nine incident support units operated by the Agency. The bikes are used to patrol the busiest stretches of the motorway during peak periods of the day. The riders, in addition to looking for debris on the carriageway and carrying out safety repairs, are in radio contact with their control centre and can be directed to traffic incidents within minutes. All riders are trained in first aid and traffic management and are a vital 'front line' force - supporting emergency services, helping to reopen blocked lanes, assessing situations and calling for back-up as required.

As much as a quarter of congestion on the M60 is due to traffic incidents and parts of the motorway have limited or no hard shoulder access. The 1100cc motorbikes, fitted with warning lights and emergency equipment, are powerful but small enough to manoeuvre past standing traffic or deal with sections of motorway with a narrow or discontinuous hard shoulder.

Providing better information

Our approach in 2002-03

Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL)

08457 50 40 30

Open between 8am and 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm at weekends and public holidays Pre-recorded information service available out of hours

Road users want accurate, up-to-date information about roadworks and conditions on the network to help them to plan their journeys. The Highways Agency provides information about roadworks and improvement schemes through a variety of means including the website, leaflets, exhibitions, press information and the Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL) which offers up-to-the-minute information on roadworks and road conditions.

Our performance in 2002-03

HAIL dealt with nearly 67,000 calls during the year and played an important role in informing the public about routes to take when attending the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and helping sports fans to reach the FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Road users were kept informed of planned roadworks through advance road signing, by our website, in leaflets and by press releases to the media. We distributed 500,000 winter driving leaflets and 250,000 summer travel leaflets to road users. In addition we showcased our work at the Motor Show and other transport related exhibitions and events.

Our website continued to provide a wide range of information to road users, including real time traffic information for the M25, Kent/Channel ports and the metropolitan areas around Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. It also provided information about current roadworks, information from local area teams and an ongoing trial of a video information highway service - streaming live CCTV pictures and information from the busiest parts of the network around Bristol.

During the year, an additional 575 Variable Message Signs (VMS) were added to the network taking the total of operational signs to 1,473. Also, during the year, an additional 28 CCTV cameras were added to bring the total to 763.

Looking to the future

We moved our Information Line to the new National Traffic Control Centre near Birmingham during September 2003. HAIL's hours of business will remain the same until early in 2004, when it will operate 24 hours a day.

This will be part of a three-year programme to introduce a new communication strategy that will better explain our activities to our customers and make it easier for them to contact us. 15

Case study - Going the extra mile

A motorist called the Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL) during a busy Friday evening in March 2003 to get an update on traffic conditions on the M42 in the West Midlands. Delays were occurring due to roadworks between junctions 2 and 3a and the caller anticipated being delayed on his peak hour journey into Birmingham. His wife was in the maternity hospital in Birmingham and he was rushing to get there, as she was going into labour.

The call to HAIL was handled by Jose Varela, who quickly assessed the urgency of the situation. Jose consulted local maps and was able to recommend an alternative route to the hospital, avoiding much of the congestion on the M42. The caller kept in touch with Jose by mobile phone, ringing when it was safe to stop to check directions. Jose came to the rescue towards the end of the journey by ringing the caller back when his phone credit had expired. Jose spent a total of 25 minutes helping the caller to get to his destination safely and quickly to be at his wife's bedside.