Highways Agency

A421/A428 (M1 to Cambridge)

The Strategy

Introduction

The Highways Agency has a set of strategic plans for the road network. RMS is the system used to take these plans from the drawing board and into the reality. This will result in roads that better serve the people who use them. RMS is not about building new roads - it is about making better use of existing roads.

The Highways Agency can't progress RMS on its own. Local councils, regional planning authorities, bus and lorry operators, train companies and the police all have a contribution to make. Account also needs to be taken of other plans - Government offices are leading studies on some routes looking at all modes of transport.

RMS means that the Highways Agency can take a ten year forward look covering the maintenance, operation and improvement projects for each of the routes that make up the core trunk road network. It looks as areas such as:

• Route Functions and Performance
• Route Objectives
• Route Problems
• Route Management Plan

The A421/A428 RMS is being undertaken by Parkman in conjunction with the Highways Agency.

Route Functions and Objectives

Functions and Objectives have been formulated for the route and these will be revised as the RMS study progresses.

Functions

The Strategic functions of the route are:

• Part of the Core National Route within the Eastern Region providing a major transport link between East Anglia and the South East and Midlands.
• Part of a major transport link for the movement of freight from the port of Felixstowe to the south central part of England.
• Links the Trans-European network (A14, A1 and M1).
• Part of a high/wide load route.
• Diversion route for incidents on the A14, A1, M11 and M1.
• Part of an outer orbital route around London.

The Regional functions of the route are:

• Provides for major East - West movements between the M1, A1, A14 and M11.
• Provides the major transport link between key growth/priority areas identified in RPG6 and RPG9, namely Milton Keynes (key growth area) and beyond Cambridge to Ipswich and Norwich (priority areas for regeneration).
• Provides a commuter (work and leisure) link between Cambridge, Bedford and Milton Keynes.
• Provides a commuter link to St Neots station
• Provides a link for the distribution of goods and services between Cambridge, Bedford and Milton Keynes.

The Local functions of the route are:

• Provides a bypass and distributor around Bedford and St Neots.
• Provides a link for local movement between local towns and villages along the route.
• Forms part of other routes that mainly comprise non trunk roads.
• Provides a crossing of the Great Ouse river.
• Provides the only access to some individual dwellings.

Objectives

The following objectives have been identified for the route.

Environment

The Government Objective is to:

• To minimise the impact of the trunk road network on both the natural and built environment.

The route objectives are considered to be to:

• To identify where noise levels are unacceptably high and mitigate where appropriate.
• To improve air quality along the route.
• To improve lighting where this is sub-standard in the environmental context.
• To use innovative lighting solutions where practicable.
• To protect watercourses and aquifers from run-off and spillage by using physical measures such as reedbeds.
• To protect and enhance existing flora and fauna.
• In association with appropriate authorities to seek to maintain a 'clean and tidy route'.

Safety

The Government Objective is to:

• To improve safety for all road users and contribute to the Government's new safety strategy and targets for 2010.

The Route Objectives are considered to be to:

• To improve the route alignment, junction layouts, lighting and signing particularly at the location of accident clusters.
• To improve facilities along and across the route for motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians.
• To improve the route to minimise hazards for higher-risk age groups.
• To improve the accessibility of facilities for people with reduced mobility.
• To ensure that that workers maintaining the route have as safe an environment as possible.

Economy

The Government Objectives are to:

• To take action to reduce congestion and increase the reliability of journey times.
• To give priority to the maintenance of trunk roads and bridges with the broad objective of minimising whole life costs.
• To educate developers about development associated traffic effects and the potential solutions.

The Route Objectives are considered to be to:

• To reduce congestion at major junctions, and to minimise local traffic difficulties, particularly during the peak periods.
• To implement measures to improve journey reliability.
• To implement schemes with a view to achieving best value.
• To locate large traffic generators in areas where modes of transport other than the car are accessible.
• To seek developer contributions towards the provision of necessary highway infrastructure and public transport facilities.

Accessibility

Goverrnment Objective is to:

• To implement traffic management, network control and other measures aimed at making the best use of the existing infrastructure and facilitating integration with other transport modes.

The Route Objectives are considered to be to:

• To work in partnership with local authorities and other bodies in order to encourage non-motorised elements of travel.
• To address issues of community severance.
• To improve facilities for people accessing public transport on or via the route.
• To provide improved facilities for pedestrians along and across the route.
• To provide equality in access to and across the route for disabled people.
• To provide improved facilities for cyclists along and across the route.
• To provide improved facilities for horse riders, particularly in terms of crossing the route.

Integration

The Government Objective is to:

• To contribute to sustainable development by maintaining, operating and improving the trunk road network in support of the Government's integrated transport and land use planning policies.

The Route Objectives are considered to be to:

• To work with transport providers and operators, Local Authorities and others to ensure that passengers can switch efficiently between different modes of transport.
• To integrate the management of the route within wider planning policies.
• To improve user information.
• To increase knowledge of user patterns and needs.
• To contribute to Regional and Local Transport and Development Plans.

Possible Problems

Issues and problems associated with the route have been identified and these will be updated after the RMS Seminar has taken place.

Environment

• Air quality on some sections of the route
• Noise and vibration in Great Barford
• Lack of biodiversity and landscape management on some sections of the route

Safety

• Sub-standard road alignments on some route sections
• Sub-standard junction layouts at some locations
• Poor signage at some locations
• Poor road markings at some locations
• Inadequate lay-bys on some route sections
• Lack of road lighting on some route sections
• Lack of facilities for people with reduced mobility
• Relatively low skidding resistance on some route sections
• Mud and silt on the carriageway adjacent to Brogborough land fill sites
• High vehicle speeds in some villages

Economy

• Peak hour congestion at all the major junctions on the route
• Lack of carriageway capacity on some sections of the route
• High number of minor road/private means of access on some sections of the route
• Lack of suitable local accident diversion routes
• Increasing traffic flows due to development adjacent to some sections of the route

Accessibility

• Issues of community severance at Brogborough, Great Barford and Croxton
• Sub-standard bus stop lay-bys
• Lack of facilities at bus stops
• Lack of signage indicating other transport modes
• Lack of facilities for pedestrians, disabled, cyclists and equestrians

Integration

• Lack of information
• Low usage of public transport

Possible Actions

Possible actions to address existing problems and issues will be identified at the Seminar and subsequent Workshops. A list of actions being investigated will be posted on this web site in August 2001.