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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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The Strategy
M1 Jct 30 to end (A1) and M621
The Strategy
Introduction
What is a Route Management Strategy?
- A new approach to road investment planning that looks fully at the service a road is delivering from the users point of view.
- Focus on better use of existing roads, rather than building new roads.
- Uses performance indicators to measure service delivered.
- Delivers a ten year vision for the road and the improvements the HA would like to make.
Strategic Aim
To contribute to sustainable development by maintaining, operating and improving the road network in support of the government's integrated transport and land use planning policies.
The Route Management Strategy (RMS) embraces five key policy objectives:
Policy objectives
- To protect and enhance the built and natural environment
- To improve safety for all road users
- To contribute to an efficient economy to support sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations
- To promote accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without access to a car
- To promote the integration of all forms of transport and land use planning, leading to a better, more efficient transport system
Why have a Route Management Strategy?
The Highways Agency has a set of strategic plans for the road network. The RMS has been designed to ensure that these plans are used to develop roads that better serve the people who use them.
The process involves consultation with a wide variety of organisations from local councils to public transport operators. It will also involve contributions from users of the route and those communities alongside each route. This will be an essential part of developing the strategy.
Finally, the RMS will ensure that transport improvements are integrated with other Studies and Plans, such as Multi-Modal Studies and Local Transport Plans.
How do we develop the Route Management Strategy?
The structure of the RMS and its development is determined by the issues raised through consultation. The timetable sets out the key dates in the development of the strategy.
Route Functions and Objectives
The Route Functions
These are categorized into Strategic, Regional, and Local functions and describe the role that the route currently has, the nature of journeys that occur on the route and the relationship between the route and other parts of the transport infrastructure and how this might change in the future.
For the purposes of the RMS, the route has been divided into 10 route sections and the functions associated with each section have been assessed and defined. These functions are listed, together with a summary table of each section's related functions.
Strategic Functions
The Strategic functions of the route are:
The Motorways...
- Are part of the two Trans-European network routes for North-South movements in Yorkshire (Routes E13 and E15)
- Provide a major transport link between the North and North East of England and the East Midlands, London and Continental Europe
- Are a part of the national motorway strategic core network
- Provide a link to important North-South and East-West corridors (A1, M62, M18, A616/A628) including the North European Trade Axis
- Are a strategic link between the M62 and the A1 for Trans-Pennine traffic to and from the North East of England
- Are part of YDIS, the strategic diversion system for the Yorkshire motorway box
- Provide an abnormal, high or wide load route, subject to restrictions.
The Regional functions
The Regional functions of the route are:
The motorways...
- Provide a major transport link between the regional centres of population, employment, tourism and recreational areas
- Are of vital importance to the economic performance and growth of the Yorkshire region.
Local Functions
The Local functions of the route are:
The motorways...
- Provide bypasses around urban centres
- Provide local access for employment and leisure purposes
- Provide main commuter routes for traffic entering the cities of Sheffield and Leeds.
| Strategic | Regional | Local | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section | A | B | C | D | E | F | X | G | H | I | J | K | |
| 10 | M621 Juntion 3 to the M621 Junction with the M62 (Junction 27) |  | | | | | | | | ||||
| 9 | M1 Junction 43 M621 Junction 3 | E13 | | | | | | | | ||||
| 8 | M1 Junction 48/A1(M) Junction 44 to the A1(M) Junction 45 | E15 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | M1 Junction 43 with M621 to M1 Junction 48/A1(M) Junction 44 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | M1 Junction 42 (M62 Junction 29) to Junction 43 with M621 | E13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | M1 Junction 39 to Junction 42 (M62 Junction 29) | E13 | | | | | | | | | | ||
| 4 | M1 Junction 36 to Junction 39 | E13 | | | | | | | | | | ||
| 3 | M1 Junction 34 to Junction 36 | E13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | M1 Junction 32 to Junction 34 | E13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | M1 Junction 30 to Junction 32 | E13 | | | | | | | | | | ||
Route Objectives and Issues
To assist the RMS process and meet five key policy objectives, eight Strategy Components have been defined to help target the outcomes required for the RMS. These Components, and issues affecting them, are:
Economy
Route Objectives
- Implementation of Objective 1 programmes via the Memorandum of Understanding
- To support sustainable development and regeneration for areas outside Objective 1
- Introduce route specific development control strategies
- To contribute to Regional and Local transport and development plans
Summary of issues identified so far:
Congestion is the main issue raised so far, either on the motorway due to insufficient capacity, on a gradient that affects larger and older vehicles, at specific junctions where development increases demand or at intersections of two or more main routes.
Locations on the M621 where congestion has been identified as significant include:
- J1 (Queuing on A6110, commuter traffic on inner ring road for Bradford/Leeds),
- J1-2 (Congestion when Leeds United football ground is in use),
- J2a-3 (Closeness of junctions causing problems for merging traffic),
- J3 (Congestion from Dewsbury Road),
- J4 & J5 (New developments planned),
- J7 (Severe peak hour congestion at present with further development planned).
Locations on the M1 where congestion has been identified as significant include:
- J31
- J32 (Junction with the M18),
- J33 (Junction for Sheffield, Sheffield City Airport, and the Special Enterprise Zone including the Waverley development and others),
- J34 (Meadowhall retail park and other Objective 1 developments),
- J35 & J35a (Further development near Chapeltown),
- J36 (Objective 1 development sites on A6195),
- J36-37 (Long gradient affecting HGV's),
- J37 (Dodworth Bypass planned, new Objective 1 developments adjacent to A628),
- J38 & J39 (Multiple developments for retail and business parks),
- J40 (Development of Silkwood Park),
- J42 (Lofthouse Interchange with the M62),
- J43 (Junction with M621 into Leeds)
- J44 (Delta Park development)
- A1(M)/A64 Bramham Crossroads Junction (Traffic to Leeds, York and East Coast)
Accessibility
Route Objectives
- To improve facilities for non-motorised users crossing the route
- To improve facilities for non-motorised users at grade separated junctions
- To reduce community severance
- To improve access to and from Public Transport and Park & Ride facilities
Summary of issues identified so far:
- Issues occur between Chapeltown, Rotherham, and Sheffield (J34, J35 & J35a), where a Quality Bus Corridor is operating and there is extensive commuter traffic.
- Potential problems also exist for development sites along the whole route.
- Issues occur at Bramham Crossroads Junction on the A1(M)/A64 intersection
- The possible re-location of Leeds United Football Club.
Safety
Route Objectives
- To improve safety during maintenance works
- To seek to improve safety for more vulnerable users
- To encourage road users to travel at an appropriate speed
- To encourage improved driver behavior
- To achieve a consistent high standard of signing along the route
- To encourage appropriate service area provision, particularly for HGV's.
- To improve the safe operation of junctions, merges and diverges.
Summary of issues identified so far:
- Issues are generally related to congestion, which causes unexpected queuing on the motorways and therefore potential vehicle conflicts
- The merging of traffic caused by the close proximity of junctions such as between J31-J32 (M1), and J2a-J3 (M621)
- Poor lane discipline at junctions and at on and off slip-roads, e.g. merging traffic crossing the southbound ghost island at A1(M)/A64 Bramham Crossroads
- Excessive speed approaching traffic lights and roundabouts
- Concerns about the positioning of parapets on over bridges between J36-39 where the emergency phones are in front of the barriers
- Inadequacy of parapets on footbridges over the motorways, where debris is thrown onto the road below
- J39 (Crigglestone, Southbound) where vehicles drift across the lanes during night times on the long sweeping left hand bend and drivers over-react and clip the central reservation
- Tight radii at J44, J45 and on J27 of the M62
- J39-42 & M621/ M1 Southbound merge, where high winds, flooding, and water build up on carriageway causes very bad spray in wet weather
- Informal crossing of the M621 by pedestrians to gain access to the Leeds United football ground when it is used.
Environment
Route Objectives
- To identify locations where noise levels are high and mitigate where appropriate
- To encourage traffic to use the most appropriate route
- To seek to improve air quality
- To ensure effective measures are in place to protect watercourses from pollutant spillage on the highway
- To protect and enhance existing flora and fauna.
- To seek to maintain a clean and tidy route
- To use environmentally friendly clean lighting when replacing existing or providing new systems
- Have due regard for visual intrusion
Summary of issues identified so far:
- J34 (M1), with noise problems and poor air quality (it is within an Air Quality Management Area)
- Litter/ rubbish problems have been identified at Wooley Edge and Woodhall Services, and along the M621 in general.
- Light pollution from high mast lighting on the M621
- There is a need for a Biodiversity Action Plan for the route
- There is a need for a Landscape Management Plan.
Integration
Route Objectives
- To make better use of the route by working in partnership with road users, transport providers and operators, local authorities and those affected by the network
- To contribute to Regional and Local transport and development plans.
Summary of issues identified so far:
- Possible park & ride sites have been identified at J30, J31, J33, J34, J35, J35a, J36, J37, J38 & J44 (M1)
- Sheffield City Airport is accessed via J33 (M1)
- Potential Supertram extensions to Waverley site near J33 (M1) and to the Waterside development near J34 (M1)
- Supertram crossing of J7 (M621) may provide opportunity for modal interchange
- Possible Sheffield International Rail Freight Terminal between J33-34 (M1)
- Possible relocation of Dodworth Rail Station on the Sheffield-Barnsley-Huddersfield railway
- Potential to set up coach park & ride and park & share at Woodall and Woolley Edge Services.
Maintenance
Route Objectives
- To maximize the serviceability of the road, structures and other highway infrastructure
- To minimise delay and disruption due to roadworks
- To minimise adverse effects on the environment
Summary of issues identified so far:
- Better coordination of resources might result if the maintenance programme was reviewed earlier
- Safety during maintenance work at Tinsley Viaduct.
Operating the Network
Route Objectives
- To identify demand management measures to deliver an achievable and defendable balance between future demands and constraints.
- To maximize the availability for use of the route for users
- To take action to reduce congestion and increase the reliability of journey times
- To maximize the operational capacity of the route
- To improve the availability of the route for abnormal, high and wide loads.
Summary of issues identified so far:
- There is a lack of high / wide load facilities on the route
- Historic problems with traffic lights at J42, (Lofthouse Interchange with the M62).
- That improved information / live media strategy would forewarn drivers about any disruptive incidents and enable them to choose alternative routes or travel arrangements
- Congestion in general (see "Economy" for details).
Improving the Network
Route Objectives
- To develop a strategy to implement Targeted Programme of Improvement schemes that may be required
- To identify other improvement schemes that may be necessary.
Summary of issues identified so far:
- Similar junction numbering system between M1 & A1(M) often causes location identification problem for breakdown and rescue services and confuses drivers.
How you can help
Click here to go to the Your Views Page where we would like you to comment on the route objectives, and the issues we have identified to date.
