M54 Extension and M6 Toll/M42 Jct Improvements announced

[jackal]

There's not much discussion of J11 in the Recommendation Report, though it's mentioned that it will be at 90% degree of saturation in 2039. Very much a case of providing the bare minimum and leaving it to someone else to sort out the mess.

It's also mentioned that, with this scheme, NH might want to detrunk the A449 north of M54 J2, though the ExA remains neutral on that.

While most of us have major reservations about J11, and the SoS shouldn't really take 9 months to reach a decision, there can be little doubt that the scheme as a whole will be a welcome improvement.

[Bryn666]

There's not much discussion of J11 in the Recommendation Report, though it's mentioned that it will be at 90% degree of saturation in 2039. Very much a case of providing the bare minimum and leaving it to someone else to sort out the mess.

It's also mentioned that, with this scheme, NH might want to detrunk the A449 north of M54 J2, though the ExA remains neutral on that.

While most of us have major reservations about J11, and the SoS shouldn't really take 9 months to reach a decision, there can be little doubt that the scheme as a whole will be a welcome improvement.

Think Grant has been too busy trying to Save Big Dog rather than review highway scheme appraisals. He's also been very busy telling Graham Brady he'll cancel most of HS2 in the NW too so that's nice.

[Big L]

That’s “stacking space”, so thankfully those vehicles stopped at a junction aren’t in a queue, they are simply “stacked”. Which is obviously much better.

Making queues shorter by making them wider. See also the extensive/expensive works just up the M6 at J10 to achieve much the same 'benefit'.

[fras]

There's not much discussion of J11 in the Recommendation Report, though it's mentioned that it will be at 90% degree of saturation in 2039. Very much a case of providing the bare minimum and leaving it to someone else to sort out the mess.

It's also mentioned that, with this scheme, NH might want to detrunk the A449 north of M54 J2, though the ExA remains neutral on that.

While most of us have major reservations about J11, and the SoS shouldn't really take 9 months to reach a decision, there can be little doubt that the scheme as a whole will be a welcome improvement.

Think Grant has been too busy trying to Save Big Dog rather than review highway scheme appraisals. He's also been very busy telling Graham Brady he'll cancel most of HS2 in the NW too so that's nice.

Can you expand on your last point, please, bearing in mind the Bill for HS2 to Manchester is proceeding through Parliament.

[medgoode]

He is referring to this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... 024652.amp

A senior Tory backbencher has said he has been given "assurances" by the transport secretary that a planned HS2 link line will be scrapped.

[fras]

If one looks at the OS 1:50000 map, the link could be constructed from Culcheth across to the junction at Newton Le Willows, and would be much shorter and avoid crossing the East Lancs Road..
However, so far the Bill in Parliament has yet to be updated with any changes.

[c2R]

The DCO went live on legislation.gov.uk the other week: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/475/

[fras]

National Highways has apparently announced the new link road (M54-M6) will commence build within the next few months: -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-62106669

[Truvelo]

National Highways has apparently announced the new link road (M54-M6) will commence build within the next few months: -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-62106669

How long is a few months? I've been enduring this for ages and I'm getting a little bit peed now. The sooner this scheme is built the better although I'm not holding out for much since the bypass for J11 was scrapped when MEL pulled out of the direct links to M6 Toll JT8.

[fras]

October update indicates some delay, surprise, surprise !

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-road ... st-updates

Apparently even more detailed design is needed !

[IAN]

October update indicates some delay, surprise, surprise !

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-road ... st-updates

Apparently even more detailed design is needed !

If they don’t move the vegetation very soon, it’ll be the nesting season and nothing much can happen before September!

[KILLER KNIGHT]

National Highways has apparently announced the new link road (M54-M6) will commence build within the next few months: -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-62106669

How long is a few months? I've been enduring this for ages and I'm getting a little bit peed now. The sooner this scheme is built the better although I'm not holding out for much since the bypass for J11 was scrapped when MEL pulled out of the direct links to M6 Toll JT8.

In it! Such silliness! Absolutely dumb that is! So many delays should improve a project, not make it worse!

[KILLER KNIGHT]

Are there any plans in place to upgrade Gailey Island?

[KILLER KNIGHT]

October update indicates some delay, surprise, surprise !

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-road ... st-updates

Apparently even more detailed design is needed !

If they don’t move the vegetation very soon, it’ll be the nesting season and nothing much can happen before September!

No update! Nesting has commenced and is going great!

[Truvelo]

No update! Nesting has commenced and is going great!

And there were temporary lights in Featherstone last week causing chaos. I hope this scheme doesn't get indefinitely postponed as it seems to be quietly shoved on the back burner.

[Ishtaria1980]

The constant crawl along the A460 is infuriating and I still find it unfathomable that the opposite slips were left out originally in the first place considering how important a link it is to Mid Wales and the Marches. I travel from Derby to Oxley regularly (and scheduled to go tomorrow). Seeing as I need to use the A449 I often just use that and the A5 now after getting constantly peed off with the A460. If it's particularly busy around Cannock I'll go across the Chase and Blithfield Reservoir to Uttoxeter. I don't like cutting through Essington and Wyrley as I drive a wide bodied van and the roads are just a bit too crap.

This and the complete lack of inaction regarding the desperately needed widening of the M42 from Curdworth to Tamworth are the 2 things that grind my gears the most at the moment.

[Berk]

Why does the A460 have speed cameras when you can’t do more than 10mph anyway??

[Steven]

The constant crawl along the A460 is infuriating and I still find it unfathomable that the opposite slips were left out originally in the first place considering how important a link it is to Mid Wales and the Marches

It's not at all unfathomable - for a start, Hilton Park Services are in the way of any north-facing slips on M6. Additionally, the M54 Brownhills Extension would have also changed how things looked around there; then there's the hokey-cokey with whether the northern link between the M6 and M54 would have been part of what became the M6 Toll or part of the Western Orbital.

[Ishtaria1980]

The constant crawl along the A460 is infuriating and I still find it unfathomable that the opposite slips were left out originally in the first place considering how important a link it is to Mid Wales and the Marches

It's not at all unfathomable - for a start, Hilton Park Services are in the way of any north-facing slips on M6. Additionally, the M54 Brownhills Extension would have also changed how things looked around there; then there's the hokey-cokey with whether the northern link between the M6 and M54 would have been part of what became the M6 Toll or part of the Western Orbital.

Like a lot of the West Midlands area it seems it was all a case of shortsightedness with what can we build now to the lowest acceptable standard with no regards towards a longer term plan. Even though it's a long way short of an M64, the A50 managed to achieve a sort of a long term aim as has the A14 after it's more recent improvements at Catthorpe, Brampton and Haughley. A lot of the major improvements to the West Midlands routes that could have been done are just too difficult or outright impossible now.

At least the the span of the HS2 bridge on the M42 is wide enough to accommodate a D3M so maybe one day in the far flung future (in a different reality) that section will be widened into a D3M with a LILO for J9/10

[Peter Freeman]

A lot of the major improvements to the West Midlands routes that could have been done are just too difficult or outright impossible now.

Nothing's impossible. Build the Western Orbital. It doesn't need to be a super-duper fully-free-flow D6M.