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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.
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A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel
Feasibility Study
7 Project Appraisal Report
7.1 The Application of 'Project Appraisal Report' to the Scheme
7.1.1 The Project Appraisal Report (PAR) aims to summarise the environmental andeconomic impact of smaller Trunk Road schemes on a common basis.
7.1.2 In the case of the A19 Black Swan Bridge feasibility Study, it was determined that thereporting requirements at this stage of the project would be fulfilled by the use of aShort PAR. Accordingly, Short PAR Version 3.3 was used.
7.1.3 Two PARs have been completed for this study, representing layout Options 1 & 2,defined in Section 2.5 above. The PARs are contained in Appendix 4.
7.1.4 In line with advice from the client, the PARs reflect the evaluation of the Schemeagainst the existing, 'Gap Closed' Do Minimum case. For this reason, the Scheme isreported as being 'neutral' in terms of its accident assessment but 'beneficial' in termsof journey times because of the shorter routes that will become available to drivers oncethe bridge opens.
7.1.5 The structure of the short PAR is designed to report the safety and economy benefits ofa simple single-location scheme in which COBA has not been run and therefore theaccident and journey time benefits are calculated 'from first principles' by reference topredicted accident and delay reductions. There is no scope for reporting vehicleoperating cost benefits.
7.1.6 In the case of the A19 Black Swan Bridge Feasibility Study, it was decided at an earlystage to make use of COBA to evaluate the safety and economy benefits of theScheme. For this reason, although many of the elements of the PAR have been input,the safety and economy benefits are derived from the COBA results. Therefore noattempt has been made to calculate, for example, total time saved in opening yearbased upon peak hour flows and time savings.
7.1.7 The bridge proposed at the Black Swan comprises the final element of a package ofimprovement measures that commenced with a local safety scheme in September 2002and continued with the closure of the gap in July 2004. For this reason, the economicevaluation of the road safety benefits shows a very low first year rate of return. This isbecause the potential benefits associated with accident reductions at this specificlocation have largely already been realised.
7.1.8 In order to give a fuller picture of the road safety benefits of the whole package ofimprovement measures of the scheme, the 'road safety benefits' section of the PARcontains details of the accident record that occurred in the five years before both thegap closure and the local safety scheme that preceded it. However, the monetisedbenefits of the Scheme reported in the PAR are based on the COBA output accidentbenefits, which reflect the fact that the majority of these accident reductions havealready been achieved.
