Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions.
The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
Traffic news on your desktop
Helpful ways to access the latest traffic information when you need it.
Scheme Progress
On Schedule at Half Time
Construction on the A40, as of August 2008, is now virtually at the half way point. Work on the eastbound carriageway is due to complete by the end of August, when the contraflow will be reconfigured to allow working on the westbound side.
Highways Agency project manager David Stock confirms that work is on schedule:
"We have an average of 140 staff working on site, six days a week and have made considerable progress, despite poor ground conditions."
The essential maintenance work includes a complete carriageway reconstruction, extensive drainage excavation, total replacement of street lighting and new barriers and road signage. A new bus lane is also being incorporated on behalf of Gloucestershire County Council, ahead of a planned Park and Ride site.
Councillor Stan Waddington believes that the early inclusion of the bus lane is a sensible decision:
"Putting in the bus lane now as part of the Highways Agency project will save council taxpayers money, and reduce the length of roadworks in the long run - digging up the same stretch of road again in a couple of years makes no sense at all. Once we have the extra lane in place, buses will have a better run giving passengers a quicker and more reliable journey into Gloucester."
Traffic Management: Cones & Zones
The traffic management required by the project has generated a high number of comments from the public, however the Highways Agency was aware at a very early stage in the planning process that the work would cause congestion, as options within such a confined working area are limited. Extensive carriageway excavations are required, with mandatory safety zones between the working area and live traffic in order to protect the travelling public and the workforce. Various traffic management options were considered, but the current arrangement was determined to be the only safe option:
"We recognise that this is a difficult time for commuters to and from the Forest of Dean and Gloucester," says project sponsor David Stock. "However we are monitoring traffic flows and taking action where appropriate, such as the installation of temporary traffic controls on Over roundabout. Gloucestershire County Council has also been putting considerable effort into working with public transport providers to ensure that commuters have alternative options."
