Highways Agency

• Executive summary
• 1. introduction
• 2. data collected
• 3. summary of results
• 4. conclusions

A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass

2. Data Collected

A6 RUSHDEN & HIGHAM FERRERS BYPASSS

2.1 The Traffic Impact Study (TIS) for the A6 Rushden & Higham Ferrers Bypass included the following surveys:

'Before' Surveys

• 3 Highways Agency permanent automatic traffic count (ATC) site;
• 3 Highways Agency temporary ATC sites;
• 1 Northamptonshire County Council permanent ATC site;
• 5 Northamptonshire County Council temporary count sites; and
• Journey Time Surveys (JTS) undertaken in June 2003 on three routes.

'After' Surveys

• For the 'After' surveys the above surveys were re-done, plus an additional Highways Agency ATC on the new A6 Rushden - Higham Ferrers Bypass, and an additional Journey Time Survey route via the new bypass.

2.2 The details for the 'Before' and 'After' surveys are described below, and illustrated in Figures 2.1 and 2.2 below.

AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC COUNTS

2.3 The 'Before' study comprised surveys at 13 Automatic Traffic Count (ATC) sites, the locations of which are illustrated in Figure 2.1.

2.4 There were four sites on the 'old' A6 route:

• One south of Rushden (but north of the location where the new bypass ties in);
• One in Rushden (north of the gyratory system);
• One immediately north of Higham Ferrers; and
• One near Irthlingborough north of the A6 junction with the A45.

2.5 There were two count sites on the A45:

• One to the west of the A6 and one to the north of the A6 near Raunds.

2.6 There are a further six sites on adjoining roads:

• A45 at Raunds;
• One on Stanwick Road south of Stanwick;
• One on Avenue Road, Southeast of Rushden;
• One on Raunds Road north of Chelveston (this site was requested to monitor flows throw Chelveston);
• One on the B645 Kimbolton Road between the 'old' A6 and the new bypass;
• One on Newton Road in Rushden between the bypass and the 'old' A6; and
• One on the A5001 Wellingborough Road, Rushden.

Data from these temporary sites were collected for a two week period from 23rd June 2003 prior to the scheme opening.

2.7 For the 'After' study, all of the 'Before' ATC sites were repeated in September with an additional Highways Agency permanent site on the new A6 bypass north of Rushden. Data was collected for a two week period from the 15th September 2003.

JOURNEY TIME SURVEYS

2.8 'Before' journey time surveys were undertaken on Monday 23rd June 2003 and Tuesday 24th June 2003 and the 'After' surveys on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th September 2003.

1.1 Journey time surveys were undertaken on four routes, identified as 'blue', 'pink', 'orange' and 'yellow' routes which are illustrated in Figure 2.2 above.

• The 'blue' route represents the route from Wymington to the A45 junction near Irtlingborough via the 'old' A6;
• The 'pink' route is the route from Wymington to the A45 junction near Wellingborough via the 'old' A6 and the A5001;
• The 'orange' route runs along the A45 from the A45 / A6 junction to the A45 / A14 junction; and
• The yellow route is an 'after' only route running from the A6 in Wymington to the junction with the A45 near Irtlingborough via the new A6 bypass.

The surveys were undertaken over the morning (0800 - 0900 hours) and evening (1700 - 1800 hours) peak periods, as well as an inter-peak period (1000 - 1400).