Highways Agency

A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement

4.0 The needs for the scheme

Existing Route and the Need for the Scheme

4.1 The A428, forms an important part of the corridor between Milton Keynes and Cambridge. It is also important to the local road network, linking the M11, A1, A14, A1198 and other local roads.

4.2 The A428 between Caxton Gibbet roundabout and the existing dual carriageway at Hardwick is a substandard single carriageway road that currently carries approximately 19,000 vehicles per day at Caxton Gibbet and 21,000 vehicles per day at Hardwick. It is often used as an alternative route to the heavily trafficked A14. Congestion occurs, particularly during the morning rush hour and the accident record is above that which would be expected for this type of road. (See para 4.5 below)

4.3 By 2006, traffic on the A428 is expected to have increased to 27,500 vehicles a day east of Cambourne increasing to 31,000 west of Hardwick.

4.4 Traffic from the new Cambourne development makes a significant contribution towards the predicted increase. Severe congestion could be expected on the single carriageway sections of the A428 if no improvement takes place. The accident rate could be expected to worsen.

Existing Accident Situation

4.5 There were 3 fatal, 18 serious and 78 slight accidents, a total of 99 personal injury accidents, along the section of the A428 under consideration in the five years between January 1996 and December 2000.

Government Policy and Objectives

4.6 The Government's policy for transport is set out in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone" issued by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in July 1998 (CM3950) (Deposit Document No. 29). The White Paper set out the new approach to an integrated transport policy and identified a core network of nationally important routes in England.

4.7 The Government's policy for Trunk Roads is developed in the document "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" (Deposit Document No. 30), also issued by DETR in July 1998. It reported on the Government's strategic review of the roads programme against the criteria of environment, safety, economy, accessibility, and integration and it refocused the Government's approach to trunk road investment. The aim is to provide a coherent programme for improving the service offered by trunk roads, to complement improvements to inter-urban travel by public transport in a way which supports policy on sustainable development. The priorities are to improve trunk road maintenance, make better use of roads and tackle some of the most serious immediate problems through a carefully targeted programme of improvements.

4.8 An objective of the Roads Review was to develop a clear and open framework to appraise and inform the prioritisation of trunk road investment proposals. To achieve this objective, the Government developed a new approach to appraisal, which is described in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England: Guidance on the New Approach to Appraisal" (Deposit Document No. 31), issued by DETR in July 1998. The new approach presents the key economic, environmental and social impacts of a project in a clear, consistent and balanced way using a one-page Appraisal Summary Table (AST) and associated worksheets. Impacts are assessed against the Government's five objectives for Transport; environmental impact, safety, economy, accessibility and integration, some of which are broken down into a number of sub-objectives.

Government Policy and Objectives

4.6 The Government's policy for transport is set out in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone" issued by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in July 1998 (CM3950) (Deposit Document No. 29). The White Paper set out the new approach to an integrated transport policy and identified a core network of nationally important routes in England.

4.7 The Government's policy for Trunk Roads is developed in the document "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" (Deposit Document No. 30), also issued by DETR in July 1998. It reported on the Government's strategic review of the roads programme against the criteria of environment, safety, economy, accessibility, and integration and it refocused the Government's approach to trunk road investment. The aim is to provide a coherent programme for improving the service offered by trunk roads, to complement improvements to inter-urban travel by public transport in a way which supports policy on sustainable development. The priorities are to improve trunk road maintenance, make better use of roads and tackle some of the most serious immediate problems through a carefully targeted programme of improvements.

4.8 An objective of the Roads Review was to develop a clear and open framework to appraise and inform the prioritisation of trunk road investment proposals. To achieve this objective, the Government developed a new approach to appraisal, which is described in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England: Guidance on the New Approach to Appraisal" (Deposit Document No. 31), issued by DETR in July 1998. The new approach presents the key economic, environmental and social impacts of a project in a clear, consistent and balanced way using a one-page Appraisal Summary Table (AST) and associated worksheets. Impacts are assessed against the Government's five objectives for Transport; environmental impact, safety, economy, accessibility and integration, some of which are broken down into a number of sub-objectives.

4.9 The new approach to appraisal has subsequently been revised to make it suitable for all transport projects. The revised advice is set out in the document 'Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies' (GOMMMS) DETR 2000 (Deposit Document No. 32). Subsequent to this the Highways Agency published the document 'Applying the Multi-Modal New Approach to Appraisal to Highway Schemes' DETR 2001 (Deposit Document No. 33). The new approach works within the framework of the following objectives:

• To protect and enhance the built and natural environment
• To improve safety for all travellers
• To contribute to an efficient economy and to support sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations
• To promote accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without a car
• To promote the integration of all forms of transport and land use planning, leading to a better more efficient transport system.

The supporting witnesses will discuss the appraisal for the Scheme in their respective proofs of evidence.

Scheme Objectives

4.10 The specific objectives of the Scheme are:

• To develop environmentally acceptable, well engineered, economical and safe proposals to provide additional traffic capacity on the A428 (Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement).
• To be compatible with proposals along the route for access to new housing and commercial developments funded by S278 agreements.
• To minimise private means of access and side road connections to the trunk road consistent with making other satisfactory arrangements for the traffic.