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Good news for stoke

Welcome to the first in a series of Newsletters about the A500 Stoke Pathfinder Project, a project that aims to assist with the economic regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent by significantly improving the A500 in the Stoke Road/City Road area. In this issue you will find out what the project is all about, why it has been called a "pathfinder", and how to obtain further information. Newsletters will be published regularly to keep you informed of the latest developments as the project progresses.

We are pleased to announce that the Highways Agency has awarded Edmund Nuttall Limited a £33 million contract to design and build the A500 Stoke Pathfinder Project.

"The pathfinder approach involves a new form of contract and co-operative working methods to deliver a better value project, faster."

The prime objective of the A500 Stoke Pathfinder Project is to assist with the economic regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent, by relieving congestion on the A500 at the busy Stoke Road and City Road Junctions.

The project also aims to improve access links across the A500 and to assist in the creation of a transport system, which encourages access by the most appropriate form of transport, including walking and cycling. To achieve these objectives the Highways Agency is working closely with Stoke City Council to integrate the project with their Local Transport Plan.

The project will be designed and constructed to high modern standards. It will enhance the built and natural environment and improve safety for all road users.

Why The Improvements Are Necessary

The A500, also known as the Potteries 'D' Road, runs from the M6 at Junction 15 through the Potteries, to rejoin the M6 at Junction 16. The City Road and Stoke Road roundabouts near to the centre of Stoke-on-Trent are the only junctions on the A500 that are not grade-separated. Traffic levels have increased greatly since these roundabouts were built in the 1970's and severe congestion now occurs at these locations, particularly at peak times.

The Highways Agency And Partnering

Partnering involves two or more organisations working together to improve performance. To ensure that the project objectives are fully met, the Highways Agency has entered into a partnership with Stoke City Council, Parkman, Edmund Nuttall Limited and their designer Hyder Consulting. All parties will be working closely together to deliver these much needed improvements to the A500. Partnering will allow the project to be progressed in a positive and effective manner through teamworking, co-operation and trust.

Proposed Road Layout

New Junctions

It is planned to remove the existing roundabouts and to construct new underpasses at Stoke Road and City Road to remove the congestion currently experienced by through traffic and local road users. The underpasses will be more compact than the existing roundabouts. New bridges will provide direct links across the A500, including priority measures for buses and improved access for pedestrians and cyclists. At Stoke Road the canal will be realigned to follow its original Victorian route. At City Road the River Trent will be taken out of its existing culvert and run in an open channel which will encourage wildlife and plants to establish.

A50 to City Road

The A500 will be widened to three lanes in each direction within the existing highway boundary as far as Whieldon Road. New link roads will be built either side of the A500, between City Road and Whieldon Road. New slip roads will be provided to the south of Whieldon Road to connect these link roads to the A500. The existing underpass, which takes Whieldon Road under the A500 will be retained. The River Trent, currently in a culvert, is to be opened up and will follow a new course in an open channel to the west of the A500. A small amount of land near Maclagan Street will need to be acquired for this.

City Road to Stoke Road

This section of A500 will be two lanes in each direction and will be built in the area of land that currently forms the wide central reservation. The existing A500 carriageways will be converted into new link roads running between Stoke Road and City Road, either side of the new A500. Motorists travelling north on the link road from City Road will be able to join the A500 using a new slip road situated just south of the Glebe Street bridge. Similarly, motorists travelling south on the link road from Stoke Road will be able to join the A500 via another slip road. The existing bridge at Glebe Street will be retained.

Stoke Road to Shelton New Road

This section of A500 will be widened to three lanes in each direction with on/off slip roads at the Stoke Road and Shelton New Road junctions. A small amount of land will be required on the western side of the A500 to construct the improvements near to Stoke Road including a new open channel for the Fowlea Brook.

Enhancing the Environment

Improving the environment is an important aspect of the Pathfinder Project. The A500 occupies a key position in Stoke, next to the Station, St Peter's Churchyard, the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. All these sites are important to the character and heritage of the City. Our objective is to protect and enhance the environment, for local people, the town and its setting and for wildlife.

• We are looking at opportunities to reduce noise levels wherever possible, for example, by providing a quieter road surface.
• We also aim to achieve a considerable improvement in the appearance of the existing road in terms of better landscaping and structures which are more in keeping with the area.
• We will improve access for pedestrians and cyclists across the A500, and to the canal towpath. The existing subways will be closed and demolished. New, safer and direct crossing points will be provided across the new bridges at Stoke Road and City Road.
• We are liaising with the Environment Agency to consider ways to open up as much of the River Trent as possible, improving conditions for wildlife and restoring views of the river.
• We will seek to improve air quality wherever possible.

Key Events

The diagram below shows the stage that we have reached and the sequence of future key events. The timing of future key events will depend on the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures including a Public Inquiry, if one is needed.

• Project announced as priority scheme, March 1999
• Tenders invited, August 2000
• Contract awarded, May 2001
• Publish draft Orders, Environmental Statement and hold public exhibitions, Late 2001 / early 2002
• Public Inquiry (if necessary)
• Secretary of State announces decision
• Make Orders and purchase any land required
• Start construction
• Road open to traffic

So what happens next?

Over the next few months, Edmund Nuttall Limited and Hyder Consulting will be developing their outline design, for example, by looking at ways of avoiding or minimising its effects on the environment.

By the end of this year we hope to reach the next key event, which is to publish the Environmental Statement and draft Orders. At this time we will also be holding local public exhibitions in order to give everyone the opportunity to view and comment on the detailed proposals. Dates and times of the exhibitions will be advertised locally nearer the time.

At present, it is not possible to give an exact date for the start of construction because various statutory procedures, including a Public Inquiry, if it is necessary, have to be completed. However, the soonest construction work could start on the A500 Stoke Pathfinder Project is 2003.

Contacts

If you have any questions you can write to, or telephone Julie Pittock or Gill Wilkins:

Highways Agency
Room D4
Broadway
Broad Street
Birmingham B15 1BL

Telephone No: 08459 55 65 75 (calls charged at local rates)

Over to you ...

Do you have any suggestions on what you would like covered in future Newsletters?

Please let us know by ringing Gill Wilkins on 0121 678 8080 or by writing to us at the address above. We will be pleased to hear from you.

View larger image

Viewpoint 1

Artists impression of the new junction at Stoke Road looking northwards, with the A500 carried underneath the junction in an underpass.

Courtesy of Yee Associates.

Viewpoint 2

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The River Trent is shown in an open channel to the right hand side of the sketch.

Artist impression of the new City Road junction looking northwards.The River Trent is shown in an open channel to the right hand side of the sketch.

Courtesy of Yee Associates.