Highways Agency

• Introduction
• Multi-Modal and other Strategic Studies
• Route Functions and Performance
• Review

Route Functions and Performance

In its management of the motorway and trunk road network towards the HA are guided by a number of key objectives:

• Giving priority to maintenance whilst minimising whole life costs
• Developing the network operator role
• Reducing congestion and increasing journey time reliability
• Carrying out the targeted investment programme
• Minimising the environmental impact of the trunk road network
• Improving safety for all road users
• Working in partnership and promoting choice and information for travellers

Providing focus for these key objectives within the Government's five investment criteria, the HA have produced a set of strategic plans, outlining its method, strategy and vision for the future. These plans provide the context for the development of a set of performance functions for the M3 which reflect the character and operation of the route.

During the course of the initial RMS study, a number of functions of the M3 between Junctions 1 and 14 were agreed with the major stakeholders. These are listed below.

Strategic Functions

Strategic functions describe how the M3, or part of it, serves as a transport corridor that caters for inter-regional and international passenger and/or goods movement.

• SF1. Forms part of the E5 Euroroute from Gibraltar to Greenock in Scotland via Portsmouth.
• SF2. Is part of the M3/M27/A31 trunk route between London and the south coast
• SF3. Is part of the M3/A303 trunk route between London and the South West
• SF4. Is part of the M3/A34 trunk route between the south coast and the midlands
• SF5. Provides strategic access to the south coast ports of Southampton and Portsmouth
• SF6. Provides a road-based alternative to the London to Southampton and London to Salisbury main line railways

Regional Functions

Regional functions explain how the M3, or part of it, serves as a transport route that caters for passenger and/or goods movement that are likely to have started and/or ended within the South and South East regions.

• RF1. Acts as a key element in the regional road network, serving communities in south-west London, north-west Surrey, the Berkshire Unitary Authorities, Hampshire and its Unitary Authorities, The Isle of Wight, and parts of Wiltshire and Dorset
• RF2. Provides the main highway link between the major centres of Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, the Blackwater Valley towns and south-west London
• RF3. Gives regional access to the M25 and London
• RF4. Provides regional access to the south coast and the Solent towns
• RF5. Provides regional access to Heathrow and Gatwick International airports
• RF6. Provides regional access to Southampton International Airport
• RF7. Acts as a feeder route to bring customers to the regional tourist industry

Local Functions

Local functions give details of how the M3 serves as a transport route that caters for passenger and/or goods movements that are likely to have started and/or ended within their respective counties. This is generally either Hampshire and/or Surrey.

• LF1. Acts as a bypass for Winchester, Basingstoke and the Blackwater Valley towns
• LF2. Acts as a local route through large population centres, giving relief to local roads
• LF3. Acts as a wildlife corridor
• LF4. Acts as a commuter route to local employment centres in Southampton and the Solent towns, Winchester, Basingstoke, the Blackwater Valley towns and south-west London

Function Performance

The future route performance of the M3 is dependent on improvements to its operation and maintenance that will begin to resolve the conflict between its functions.

Through maintenance studies and schemes that the RMS can identify and recommend, these also have the potential to influence and improve the route functions and therefore give greater route performance whilst minimising whole life costs.

The RMS anticipates changes in the functions of the route that will incorporate greater integration between local and strategic-regional functions. Reducing the conflict between functions is likely to make a greater impact on route performance, improving safety for all users, increasing journey time reliability and improving integration and accessibility for the route's catchment area.

• Factors affecting Route Performance and the M3's Strategic Functions.
• Factors affecting Route Performance and the M3's Regional Functions.
• Factors affecting Route Performance and the M3's Local Functions.

Future Route Functions

Future Strategic Functions

There are no changes expected to the Strategic Functions, subject to the availability of capacity.

Future Regional Functions

There are no changes expected to the Regional Functions, subject to the availability of capacity.

Future Local Functions

There are no changes expected to the Local Functions, subject to the availability of capacity.

Route Problems and Issues

The HA gives priority to maintenance whilst minimising whole life costs. In developing its role as network operator, the HA would like to deal with problems and issues along the route in a manner that gives the greatest beneficial impact to users and communities along the route as well as to the five investment criteria of safety, environment, economy, accessibility and integration.

Problems and issues are considered to be obstacles to the effective fulfilment of the Route Functions. Problems and issues are also identified as situations that affect the Policy Objectives.

The following tables give a clear indication as to how problems and issues along the route affect particular Functions and Policy Objectives of the M3. The tables are split, by the nature of the problems and/or issues, into the five investment criteria, as listed above.

• Safety related Route Problems and Issues.
• Environment related Route Problems and Issues.
• Economy related Route Problems and Issues.
• Accessibility related Route Problems and Issues.
• Integration related Route Problems and Issues.

Route Outcomes

Derivation

Route Outcomes set out what the HA will seek to obtain from the M3 route over the ten year period of the RMS. They are designed to contribute to the Policy Objectives, improve the performance of the Route Functions, support the Land Use and Development Control statement and address Route Problems and Issues along the whole route or at specific locations. In this RMS, the term Route Outcome is used to describe Route and/or Location Specific Outcomes.

Route Outcomes are initially developed from Route Problems and Issues, proposed land use developments, development planning control policies and where poor route performance has been identified. For each scenario that affects the function or performance of the M3 route, a Route Outcome has been derived. This produces a large number of outcomes that after rationalisation, the HA will seek to obtain as the output for the M3 over the next ten years.

The Route Outcomes focus on achieving the three elements of the HA's slogan. They are:

"Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers"

The M3 serves as an important strategic corridor to South West England, the south Hampshire coast and to the towns and cities of, the Blackwater Valley, Basingstoke, Winchester and Southampton. The M3 contributes to and assists in the regeneration of the Solent towns. Encouraging the use of alternatives to the car to gain access to South West England, the New Forest and the south Hampshire coast, maintaining air quality managed areas and wildlife habitats adjacent to the M3, add to the environmental consequence of some Route Outcomes.

The following pages outline the proposed Route Outcomes for the M3 Route Management Strategy over the next ten years. Each proposed outcome gives an indication of the impact, timescale and activities to complete in order to achieve the output. Other Route Outcomes that may be affected by the output and supporting Policy Objectives are listed to indicate the influence the proposed Route Outcome will have to improve the operation, maintenance and performance of the M3.

Proposed Route and Location Specific Outcome Summary Sheets

The following have been identified as Proposed Route and Location Specific Outcomes:

• Route Outcome 1: Improve Journey Time Reliability - Thames Valley and North Surrey Section
• Route Outcome 2: Improve Journey Time Reliability - South Hampshire Section
• Route Outcome 3: Improved Non-Motorised User (NMU) Facilities
• Route Outcome 4: Reducing the Occurrence and Severity of Accident Clusters
• Route Outcome 5: Reducing the Impact of Accidents and Incidents on the M3
• Route Outcome 6: Assist Regeneration in south Hampshire
• Route Outcome 7: Improve Road User Information
• Route Outcome 8: M3 Junction 2 - Queuing on M3 Eastbound Approach
• Route Outcome 9: M3 Junction 3 - Queuing on Local Road Approaches
• Route Outcome 10: Noise Mitigation
• Route Outcome 11: Improve the Impact of the adjacent Local Environment
• Route Outcome 12: M3 Junction 4 to 5 - Projectiles Being Thrown
• Route Outcome 13: M3 Junction 6 - Reducing the Effects of Exit Blocking
• Route Outcome 14: M3 Junction 7 to 8 - Traffic Merging Eastbound and Weaving Westbound
• Route Outcome 15: M3 Junction 8 to 9 - Improve Maintenance Operations
• Route Outcome 16: M3 Junction 9 - Improve Operation of Junction, including NMU Facilities
• Route Outcome 17: M3 Twyford Cutting Gradient
• Route Outcome 18: M3 to M27 Links - Congestion, Weaving and Accidents

Strategy Impact Statement

This RMS has identified a number of key route issues. In order to overcome these route issues a strategy has been devised, culminating in the Route Outcomes, which will enable the performance of the M3 route to be improved.

The Strategy Impact Statement demonstrates how the implementation of the Route Outcomes will result in a beneficial impact on the performance of the route.

Based on an analysis of the Route Functions, a number of key Route Outcomes have been identified. These have been determined on the basis of the impact they are expected to have on the Route Functions, such as serving local businesses and communities or the route issues they address, such as providing crossing facilities for non-motorised users.

Impact Tables

The four impact tables, which present the impact of the Route Outcomes on various factors considered in the preparation of the RMS, can be found on the following pages. The impact tables are assessed using the proposed Route Outcomes against the various performance criteria that make up the M3 Route Management Strategy.

The impact tables are as follows:

Impact of proposed Route Outcomes on Route Problems and Issues

Impact of proposed Route Outcomes on Route Functions

Impact of proposed Route Outcomes on Development Control Statement

Impact of proposed Route Outcomes on Policy Objectives

Following completion of the RMS, a Route Management Plan will be developed by the HA providing the implementation plan for actions which will contribute to the Route Outcomes.