Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Conclusion

4.1 The traffic data collected as part of this Traffic Impact Study has shown that the new A10 Wadesmill, High Cross and Colliers End Bypass, which opened on 8th October 2004, carried around 23,000 vehicles per day (on an average weekday) in November 2004.

4.2 Traffic count data, post scheme opening, shows significantly reduced daily traffic volumes on the bypassed section of the A10 between Ware and the A10/A120 roundabout, clearly indicating that the scheme has been successful in routing approximately 21,000 vehicles away from the old A10, which represents an 80-85% reduction in traffic levels through the three villages.

4.3 Traffic on local roads has also reduced, with the most significant impacts on Anchor Lane and Cold Christmas Lane, which have had reductions in traffic of 1,900 vpd (36%) and 650 vpd (62%) respectively. The decrease on Anchor Lane is assumed to be due to traffic re-routing onto Westmill Road (A602) to join onto the bypass.

4.4 Traffic on the A120 has increased by 2,200 vpd. Evidence from traffic counts strongly suggest that this traffic is due to long distance strategic re-routing since the opening of the scheme.

4.5 The proportion of HGV's of total traffic through the villages has decreased from 8-10% to 4-5% indicating that the bypass has clearly been successful in re-routing HGV's out of these villages.

4.6 Journey time data suggests that time savings of around 2 minutes is being forecast for journeys from the A10/A120 Standon Hill roundabout to the A10/A1170. The exception is for south bound trips in the PM peak where savings of 6 minutes are indicated.

4.7 The One Year 'After' Count for this scheme's Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) will be undertaken in November 2005.