Highways Agency

Route management strategy

Route Management Strategy

The Route Management Strategy (RMS) is a technique developed by the Highways Agency (HA) to provide a framework for managing individual trunk routes as part of a wider transport network. Through this process the HA can improve, plan and invest efficiently in the trunk road/motorway network and aid the delivery of HA strategic plans and the ten year transport policy.

The outcome of every RMS is the production of two plans. A Route Management Plan which is a ten year strategy prioritising problems and programming solutions, and a Route Action Plan which provides detailed information on the actions required to tackle the identified route problems over a three year period.

The RMS is based upon in-depth studies of functions and problems of a route. Consultation with national and local organisations as well as the general public helps to identify the problems on the highway to enable considered investment decisions throughout the network.

What are the stages?

The stages carried out in the production of a Route Management Strategy are illustrated in the diagram. The RMS process has taken approximately a year to complete with this information leaflet produced as the final part of the process.

The RMS process now moves into a period of review where the activities proposed in the RMS strategy are implemented and their performance monitored. During this review period the RMS strategy is updated on an annual basis.

The A69

The A69 runs in a west to east direction from junction 43 of the M6 on the outskirts of Carlisle, to the A1 on the outskirts of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is single carriageway between the M6 and Hexham, approximately 53km (33 miles), and two-lane dual carriageway for the remaining 31.5km (19.5 miles) of its length. The route caters for high volumes of local and tourist traffic, feeding regional areas of employment, shopping and recreation. There are numerous junctions along the length of the A69, the majority are at grade. The A69 also passes through residential areas such as Warwick Bridge and Haydon Bridge.

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Route Functions

The Route Functions describe the role that the route currently fulfils.

Strategic

• forms part of the Trans European Road Network
• provides a link from Ireland and southern Scotland to the north east ports (Newcastle, Teesport and Sunderland)
• a main route from Cumbria to the north east
• all weather route linking the north east to the north west
• provides access to Newcastle Airport from the west
• provides access to and from central and southern Scotland from the north east
• provides access to and from main rail routes.

Regional

• main access for communities to the wider trunk road network
• provides commercial access to Carlisle and Newcastle
• provides tourist access throughout Cumbria and Northumberland
• facilitates regional regeneration
• complements the parallel rail route between Carlisle and Newcastle
• provides access to hospitals in the region.

Local

• provides a commuter route for the towns along the A69
• acts as a local distributor for the region
• commercial route to and from Hexham and other local markets
• provides an important public transport corridor
• provides direct access for local businesses, farms and residents
• provides access to educational facilities
• provides access to leisure facilities
• provides access to local health and emergency services
• provides access to Carlisle Airport from the east.

Objectives for the Route

The Route Objectives set out the future role and aims of the route. The Government objectives under the 5 key transport criteria are set out below together with the specific objectives that have been identified for the A69.

Economy - To contribute to an efficient economy, and to support sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations.

• to balance the strategic, regional and local functions of the route
• to improve journey time reliability along the route
• to minimise traffic disruption during road maintenance or traffic incidents (accidents), and ensure co-ordination of works with the relevant local authorities
• to plan all works to achieve optimum whole life costs with minimal disruption to users
• to maximise the availability of the route for users, and the serviceability of the road, structures and other highway equipment.

Safety - To improve safety for all travellers.

• to maintain or improve road safety for all road users.

Environment - To protect and enhance the built and natural environment.

• to ensure that good air quality is maintained along the route
• 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 protect and enhance the environmental character of the route
• to protect the HA investment in off-site planting and ensure maintenance
• to give due recognition to noise nuisance and problems.

Accessibility - To promote accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without a car.

• to improve and enhance accessibility for non-motorised users.

Integration - To promote the integration of all forms of transport and land use planning, leading to a better, more efficient transport system.

• to work in partnership with road users, transport providers and operators to integrate operations
• to make appropriate provisions to encourage the use of public transport.

Route problems identified

Economy

• on the single carriageway sections of the route, there are limited overtaking opportunities which, coupled with a high proportion of HGVs, result in driver frustration
• congestion in the morning peak on the approach to the A69/A1 junction
• there are reports of periodic congestion at the Bridge End roundabout on market/event days in Hexham.

Safety

• there are high accident rates in the Warwick Bridge area and West Denton
• there are high KSI (Killed and Seriously Injured) ratios in the Aglionby area, east of Warwick Bridge to the Brampton Bypass and between Haydon Bridge and the start of the dual carriageway
• there is a lack of appropriate warning signs to alert drivers of non-motorised user crossing points along the route
• it is difficult to enter/egress from minor side roads along the A69.

Environment

• there is no route specific Biodiversity Action Plan for the route
• there is noise nuisance at the towns of Warwick Bridge, Haydon Bridge and at West Denton.

Accessibility

• minor improvements are required at a number of non-motorised user crossing points along the route
• there are community severance issues at Haydon Bridge
• of the 70 laybys along the route, only three meet current standards.

Integration

• more opportunities could be taken up to encourage modal shift
• there is a lack of directional signposting for local rail stations accessed from the A69.

Actions to be taken

The following programme of actions is planned for the next ten years

High Priority Actions

• implement planned improvements to the A1/A69 junction
• monitor the performance of the A1/A69 junction following improvements
• prepare a Biodiversity Action Plan
• investigate actions to create overtaking opportunities
• monitor accident patterns at locations where recent safety improvements have been made
• undertake further investigations at Bridge End roundabout, Hexham to assess reported congestion
• undertake planned improvements to construct a bypass of Haydon Bridge.

Medium Priority Actions

• undertake a junction study to ascertain the feasibility of improving existing junctions to make them a consistent standard taking into account the number of minor accesses along the route
• implement the findings of the Highways Agency's layby study
• provide pedestrian crossing warning signs
• subject to the outcome of liaison with local authorities regarding the provision of adequate parking and complementary signing on local roads, directional signs to rail stations close to the A69 will be provided.

Low Priority Actions

• prepare an Environmental Management Plan
• implement minor improvements to pedestrian crossing points where required
• continue to review levels of noise nuisance in Warwick Bridge, Haydon Bridge and West Denton
• establish a discussion forum involving local stakeholders to encourage modal shift.

A69 Route Management Strategy

The A69 RMS has been developed in order to fully understand the objectives, functions and problems along the route. The main objectives identified are:

• to maintain journey time reliability between Carlisle and Newcastle
• to maintain a good level of safety along the route
• to reduce the effects of traffic noise
• to enhance accessibility
• to promote availability for shift between modes of transport.

After systematic analysis of the characteristics, functions, and problems, a strategy has now been devised for the route. Every problem encountered has been classified according to its priority, and an appropriate action has been developed in order to alleviate that particular problem.

The A69 Route Management Stategy will be reviewed and updated every 12 months to ensure that the A69 Route Management and Action Plans are succeeding in their objectives, and that any new problems can be identified and resolved.

Contact Us

Any queries should be directed to:

Peter Morris
7th Floor East, P.O. Box 206, City House, New Station Street Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4UR
Tel. 08457 50 40 30 Fax 01642 560714 e-mail: A69@highways.gsi.gov.uk