Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Update

The Spending Review announcement listed the A160/A180 Improvements Immingham scheme for potential construction in future spending review periods, subject to the outcome of statutory processes. For more information visit our Future Delivery Programme page.

Scheme Background

The A160 is approximately 3 miles (5.2 km) long and has sections of both single carriageway and dual carriageway. Currently, the A160 carries around 13,000 vehicles per day, including approximately 5,700 heavy goods vehicles (44%) with road users experiencing severe congestion at times, particularly along the single carriageway sections.

Traffic flows are expected to increase significantly by 2030 to approximately 22,000 vehicles per day, which will result in more severe congestion if the A160 is not improved.  The proposed improvements will:

• Improve access to the Port of Immingham
• Relieve congestion and improve journey times on the A160
• Improve safety for both road users and local residents.

Eight improvement options were developed to upgrade the A160 to dual carriageway standard throughout.  Each of the options proposed alternative layouts for the main junctions with the A160.

A Public Consultation exercise was held between 8th June and 28th August 2009 to collect views on the eight options from local residents, businesses and other stakeholders.  This included a two day exhibition, held at South Killingholme Community Centre on 3rd and 4th July 2009.  The Public Consultation leaflet is available to view on the Publications page.

The exhibition and consultation attracted a significant amount of interest and numerous comments on the scheme proposals were received.  A number of issues were raised, including concern that the scheme would detrimentally affect access to South Killingholme.

Scheme Development following Public Consultation

The comments received during the Public Consultation were collated and analysed to ensure that the views of the public have been taken into consideration.  A Preferred Route has been developed based on the route most favoured during the Public Consultation, with amendments to address the issues raised by consultees.

The Report on Public Consultation details the arrangements for the 2009 Public Consultation and includes a summary and analysis of the comments received.  A Scheme Assessment Report (SAR) has been produced to explain how the preferred route was developed to address the issues raised during Public Consultation.  The SAR also summarises the economic benefits and environmental impacts of the Preferred Route.

Preferred Route Announcement

On 22nd March 2010, the Secretary of State made the Preferred Route Announcement for the A160 Port of Immingham Improvements scheme.  A Preferred Route Announcement Leaflet has been produced to explain the Preferred Route, which has been distributed to local residents and key stakeholders.  The Preferred Route Announcement Leaflet has also been deposited at points in the scheme locality.  A map showing the locations of the Deposit Points and leaflet distribution area is available to view.  An artist's impression of the Preferred Route has been produced as a 3D flythrough to give a graphical demonstration of what the scheme could look like when completed. An appraisal summary table has been compiled and is designed to provide a a concise, across-the-board overview of the impacts of a scheme option, in relation to the Government's five objectives for transport ( Environment, Safety, Economy, Accessibility and Integration ) and is available to view on the Publications page.

Survey Works

Survey works have now been completed for the topographical, drainage and Ground Investigation surveys. The information gained from these surveys provides accurate and detailed information about the existing area surrounding the A160 and will enable the scheme to be developed in greater detail.  It has been necessary to use traffic management in order to complete these surveys, to ensure the safety of the survey operatives and road users.  We thank road users for their cooperation during these times.

Archaeological surveys to ensure that the proposed scheme does not impact on any valuable archaeological resources in the area surrounding the A160 are currently being undertaken. These works will not impact on the road network and are due to be completed in March 2010. We thank the affected land owners for their co-operation on this matter.

Environmental Considerations

Further environmental studies will lead to the publication of a more detailed Environmental Statement for the Preferred Route.  As part of this work we are consulting with a wide range of national and local bodies, including all the relevant planning authorities, Natural England, the Environment Agency and English Heritage and also local residents, businesses, land owners and Local Authorities.

Some of the key environmental issues we are investigating are:

• The effects of changes in noise levels, vibration and air quality
• The visual impacts on local residents and rights of way
• The proximity to environmentally sensitive water features, including the Humber Estuary, Skitter Beck and Rosper Road Pools
• The proximity to sensitive ecological features or protected species
• The possibility of finding archaeological remains
• Changes to the surrounding landscape
• Potential effects on pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists.

What Happens Next?

Land in the vicinity of the Preferred Route will be protected from development.

As the A160 forms part of the strategic road network, the scheme is considered to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and will therefore be considered by the newly established Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).

Further consultation with stakeholders will take place to aid the design of the Preferred Route which will be developed in more detail to identify the land that will need to be acquired to construct the scheme. The Preferred Route development will involve the design of junction layouts, drainage requirements and appropriate environmental mitigation measures such as landscaping and planting.

Once this further consultation and Preferred Route development work has been completed the new IPC procedure requires the preparation and publication of a draft Development Consent Order and a draft Environmental Statement. A further round of consultation will then take place on these published documents. This consultation will give the public and key stakeholders a further opportunity to consider and comment on the more detailed proposals. The IPC will then consider all comments before coming to its final decision.

As the scheme is funded from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Funding Allocation (RFA), it is hoped that, subject to successful approval by the IPC and funding availability, construction work on the scheme could commence in or around 2013.