A13: Email from Barking council

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Sunil_of_Yoxley
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A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Sunil_of_Yoxley »

Sunil

Following your query about the long term plans for the Lodge Avenue/Ripple Road junction, here is my response:

Renwick Road/A13

The Renwick Road/A13 junction is due to undergo significant upgrading as part of the transport infrastructure improvements associated with the Barking Riverside development.

The current proposals are for a grade separated junction with slip roads providing for all turning movements to and from Renwick Road, and allowing the free flow of the A13 through the junction. This would mean that vehicles could turn right out of Renwick Road (this movement is currently banned), and mean that all traffic signals at this location would be removed. It would also allow for a potential new bus route to be provided from Renwick Road to Castle Green and beyond, providing a link to the new Jo Richardson School and Becontree Underground station.

Under the current programme, initial design work would begin in early 2006, and the scheme would be completed by 2011. This would ensure that there was no disruption to the A13 during the Olympics in 2012. The scheme would be implemented by Transport for London (TfL) as the A13 is under their jurisdiction.

There are also a number of schemes to improve the junctions along Renwick Road south of the A13, again associated with the Barking Riverside development. These would provide improvements at Renwick Road/Choats Road, Renwick/Bastable Avenue and Renwick Road/Thames Road.


Lodge Avenue/Ripple Road/A13

TfL have recently installed traffic signals on the roundabout at this junction, although they are not yet operational. This will improve the flow of traffic on the approach roads to the junction, on the roundabout itself and on the slip roads on and off the A13. There are still a few technical issues to be ironed out, and as yet no firm date has been set for switching them on.

In addition to this, there are proposals to widen Lodge Avenue (within the existing highway boundary) on the approach to the roundabout to improve bus priority. This is scheduled to be operational after 2000 homes have been built at Barking Riverside, which under the current programme would be 2010/2011.

The improvements to the Renwick Road/A13 junction detailed above will also improve the operation of this junction. This is because vehicles that currently want to turn right out of Renwick Road have to turn left instead and head westbound along the A13, before u-turning at Lodge Avenue/Ripple Road to travel back the other way. The introduction of the grade separated junction will allow the right turn out of Renwick Road, therefore removing the need for u-turning and reducing the amount of traffic using the junction.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.


Regards

Danny Calver

Principal Transport Planner
Strategic Transportation
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Tel: 020 8227 3952
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sotonsteve
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Post by sotonsteve »

Sounds like TfL were influenced a lot by bus priority!
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by charlie_lcc »

I'm sad to revive this topic but I came across it after yesterday's fatal crash between a lorry and cyclist near the Renwick road junction on the A13. This is the last uncontrolled at grade junction in the A13 DBFO. The note above talks about a rebuild to be completed before 2012. Does anyone know of the current status of that project?

There used to be dozens of similar junctions along the A13, it now looks like a wasteland relic from the past. I don't know any details of yesterday's crash but it may be an issue that the off carriageway cycle track just seems to disappear at this point.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by SarahJ »

This all looks a like to have been effected by the downturn. No extra houses have been built in the area for a while. At the time there were also plans to extend the DLR this way, which came to naught. Without these, new housing plans stalled on the Riverside with even things like shops left unbuilt.* Barking centre filled up with tiny flats and in the 10 years the demographic changed beyond recognnition. I lived there 1999-2001 and went back in 2010 for a look and noticed this.
Plus of course this was all a Ken plan. Boris does not seen to care about this part of London.

SJ

*. How about this for a corner shop. Houses here were sold for over 200,000 in 2001. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=barking& ... 43.36,,0,0
WHBM
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by WHBM »

As I understood it, this was all tied down in the A13 DBFO when it was originally signed back about 12 years ago (maybe more). The rickety old S4 Lodge flyover was accepted to be left, provided that it is properly rebuilt as D3 grade separation by 2025. Something to do with reducing the cost of the scheme to fit the budget when it was started.
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Sunil_of_Yoxley
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Sunil_of_Yoxley »

Can't believe I posted that email 7 YEARS ago! I've been a couple of times past Renwick Road on the bus over the last year or so and noticed no change along the A13 whatsoever, save for the old streetlight lamps being replaced with modern types. Better than nothing I suppose...
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Runwell
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Runwell »

The Lodge Avenue flyover can't have much more life left in it, surely? Looks in a bad way when coming down from Beacontree onto the roundabout. When the time comes to replace it, surely they will have to lengthen the actual flyover layout, or move it slightly to the east, as the roundabout is squashed with houses along part of it?

Most of those premises on the w/b approach to Renwick Road, then the flyover, looked unoccupied when I went by last week (rarely go past during daytime). Sadly any scheme here looks years off, by which time those buildings/land will probably be put back into use :(
komar80
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by komar80 »

It's a shame that nice and wide road is completely ruined by one junction. Borys know how to paint blue strips on tarmac and pretend that he just done cycling highway. Or to build ski resort style crossing for a nobody. He also wants to build garden bridge for rats.
New river crossing in east london?
5 years of consultations.
Continuation of a406 beneath a13? Scraped.
A13 can't be fixed with few cans of paint so we will continue to stay there in traffic every morning and afternoon instead to spend time with family.
And soon we again will elect this "golden Eton lips" boy.
WHBM
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by WHBM »

komar80 wrote:A13 can't be fixed with few cans of paint so we will continue to stay there in traffic every morning and afternoon instead to spend time with family.
And soon we again will elect this "golden Eton lips" boy.
I think you will find the A13 DBFO had its contract terms laid down (which includes rebuilding Renwick Road and Lodge Ave only at the end of the contract) in Ken Livingstone's time, although in actual fact it was set up by the Highways Agency as it (just) predates the transfer of their main London roads to TfL. So not the "golden Eton lips" party all round.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Phil »

WHBM wrote:
komar80 wrote:A13 can't be fixed with few cans of paint so we will continue to stay there in traffic every morning and afternoon instead to spend time with family.
And soon we again will elect this "golden Eton lips" boy.
I think you will find the A13 DBFO had its contract terms laid down (which includes rebuilding Renwick Road and Lodge Ave only at the end of the contract) in Ken Livingstone's time, although in actual fact it was set up by the Highways Agency as it (just) predates the transfer of their main London roads to TfL. So not the "golden Eton lips" party all round.
Correct.

The A13 DBFO contract was signed (including the provision of the necessary funding* from the DfT) months before TfL took over the responsibility for non local authority roads in London. Any attempt to cancel or fundamentally alter the contract would have cost TfL loads of money in compensation to the DBFO organisation and TfL simply felt it couldn't justify the cost much to Mr Livingstone's disappointment. Had the DBFO contact not been signed by the DfT and it been left down to TfL the most likely scenario is that the scheme would have been downgraded to no GSJs and lots of signalised flat junctions - especially if the DfT took the opportunity to remove the earmarked funding for use elsewhere in the country*

In some respects its similar to the transfer of the tube - the DfT retained control until Gordon Browns much hated PPP structure was up and running because if Mr Livingstone had his way he would have dumped the proposed setup straight away. As it was he was forced to accept it because the only way out was to spend massive amounts of money in compensation

* Its this lack of funding that gave TfL the perfect excuse not to go ahead with the full GSJ improvements in the Bounds Green / Henley's corner areas. Yes under Mr Livingstone it is extremely unlikely it would have been taken forward even if money was there but he (and his successor, Mr Johnson) would have been under far more pressure from voters, etc if the cancellation decision had to be based solely on 'ideological' or environmental grounds - rather than was actually the case, the vastly more acceptable reason of there simply not being enough money
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Sunil_of_Yoxley »

My avatar was taken from a route confirmatory sign very close to Renwick Road eastbound. Haven't been that way for several months but didn't notice any changes in Autumn 2013.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Melly »

It's shocking how many years later we are from when the council wrote the above email and still nothing changed. I believe there are a few million cars stranded in traffic every single day just because of these silly traffic lights at Junction A13 -Ripple Rd and Renwick Rd.
Does anyone know an update on when they plan to remove that and do a normal slip road?
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by jackal »

This must be one of the worst junctions in the UK in terms of delay caused vs size of required works.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Runwell »

Since the last post, eastbound turns from the A13 to Renwick Road have been banned. Westbound remains the issue, although the delay often extends to Lodge Avenue junction anyway. Realistically, a GSJ at Renwick Road will never happen. The only realistic option, without turning the whole of East London in to a massive car park for at least 18 months is a tunnel.

Meanwhile, Lodge Avenue flyover itself is now 30mph, and subject to endless overnight closures for work to help prop it up.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by jackal »

Runwell wrote: Tue Jul 04, 2023 22:32 Realistically, a GSJ at Renwick Road will never happen. The only realistic option, without turning the whole of East London in to a massive car park for at least 18 months is a tunnel.
You think an unsignalised LILO would be unrealistic?
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Runwell »

I can't see any changes to Renwick Road, without Lodge Avenue being sorted as well.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Mapper89062 »

jackal wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 10:49
Runwell wrote: Tue Jul 04, 2023 22:32 Realistically, a GSJ at Renwick Road will never happen. The only realistic option, without turning the whole of East London in to a massive car park for at least 18 months is a tunnel.
You think an unsignalised LILO would be unrealistic?
I think the main reasons there are still lights are to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross Renwick Road, including people going to the bus stop, and to curb flows towards the lane reduction at the Lodge Avenue flyover. Throttling traffic here reduces the amount of vehicles merging to get out of the left hand lane. The plans might have been to wait to sort out this junction until that one was done, but a D3 Lodge Avenue flyover will never happen now.
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Melly »

I believe if the council or TFL would be bothered with the amount of traffic this caused they will find a solution, realistic or unrealistic doesn't matter as when they really want they get it sorted. we just have to show them that we are, millions of people who are suffering from this, so they should take it into consideration to change asap!!!

Any idea how to contact them and make them aware? (not an email address that goes to Spam and is never responded to :shock: )
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by KeithW »

Melly wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 13:36 I believe if the council or TFL would be bothered with the amount of traffic this caused they will find a solution, realistic or unrealistic doesn't matter as when they really want they get it sorted. we just have to show them that we are, millions of people who are suffering from this, so they should take it into consideration to change asap!!!

Any idea how to contact them and make them aware? (not an email address that goes to Spam and is never responded to :shock: )
I know the A13 is busy but used by millions seems a tad over the top. In fact the TfL map shows the A13 being the A13 DBFO which is a regulated Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, which is operated and maintained by a Concessionaire (Road Management Services A13.)
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/a13-dbfo-2022.pdf

Neither the council nor TfL will touch this with a barge pole. This is one of the little legacy's Tony Blair left us so nothing is likely to happen until it ends in 2030.

Read it and weep.
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/a13-thames-g ... ntract.pdf

See company details here - most of the shareholders seem to be residents in Spain.
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... 4/officers
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Re: A13: Email from Barking council

Post by Sunil_of_Yoxley »

Melly wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 13:36 I believe if the council or TFL would be bothered with the amount of traffic this caused they will find a solution, realistic or unrealistic doesn't matter as when they really want they get it sorted. we just have to show them that we are, millions of people who are suffering from this, so they should take it into consideration to change asap!!!

Any idea how to contact them and make them aware? (not an email address that goes to Spam and is never responded to :shock: )
Just PM'ed you!

Like you, I am just astonished at how Lodge Avenue/Renwick Road has remained untouched for, what, 20 years now, while the section Canning Town to Movers Lane, as well as the Dagenham to M25 section, are all high quality D3s.
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