A414 Harlow

[c2R]

7a will change traffic patterns in an interesting way - I don't think it will solve Sawbridgeworth's traffic problems, in fact it may make them worse (outside peak hours), as traffic chooses 7a and through Sawbridgeworth/Harlow to avoid Birchanger Green....

Personally, I'd beg to differ with above based on the proposal of 7a (unless it has changed and I'm unaware of this). The plan is for 7a to link on to Sheering Road (B183), thus taking traffic in and out of Harlow and Old Harlow. Where traffic may increase through Sawbridgeworth is those drivers who wish to access the southern areas of Bishop's Stortford such as Thorley and avoid Stortford town centre and Birchanger Green altogether. Personally, in the times I've been through Sawbridgeworth, I honestly don't think 7a will have a negative impact on traffic levels during non-peak hours. The biggest issue will in fact be through Lower Sheering as commuters of Sawbridgeworth will use Sheering Lower Road to the B183 and J7a as a shortcut
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/resour ... s/5050965/

My understanding is that the road through Lower Sheering will be made access only, and therefore traffic will more likely divert through Sawbridgeworth; other than during the rush hour when the road is at a complete standstill anyway!

[Lewis1997]

7a will change traffic patterns in an interesting way - I don't think it will solve Sawbridgeworth's traffic problems, in fact it may make them worse (outside peak hours), as traffic chooses 7a and through Sawbridgeworth/Harlow to avoid Birchanger Green....

Personally, I'd beg to differ with above based on the proposal of 7a (unless it has changed and I'm unaware of this). The plan is for 7a to link on to Sheering Road (B183), thus taking traffic in and out of Harlow and Old Harlow. Where traffic may increase through Sawbridgeworth is those drivers who wish to access the southern areas of Bishop's Stortford such as Thorley and avoid Stortford town centre and Birchanger Green altogether. Personally, in the times I've been through Sawbridgeworth, I honestly don't think 7a will have a negative impact on traffic levels during non-peak hours. The biggest issue will in fact be through Lower Sheering as commuters of Sawbridgeworth will use Sheering Lower Road to the B183 and J7a as a shortcut
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/resour ... s/5050965/

My understanding is that the road through Lower Sheering will be made access only, and therefore traffic will more likely divert through Sawbridgeworth; other than during the rush hour when the road is at a complete standstill anyway!

So basically the road through Lower Sheering (Lower Sheering Road) after the B183 to Sawbridgeworth will become access only? Personally, I still don't see how more traffic will be diverted through Sawbridgeworth as the majority of traffic from Harlow are likely to use 7 or 7a depending if they're commuting down to London or up to Cambridge (albeit very few I'd imagine). The only traffic that will head through Sawbridgeworth is those for Stortford and Stansted, as well as those who live in northern areas of Harlow and don't wish to venture into Harlow itself to get to 7a

[c2R]

So basically the road through Lower Sheering (Lower Sheering Road) after the B183 to Sawbridgeworth will become access only?

Yes

Personally, I still don't see how more traffic will be diverted through Sawbridgeworth as the majority of traffic from Harlow are likely to use 7 or 7a depending if they're commuting down to London or up to Cambridge (albeit very few I'd imagine). The only traffic that will head through Sawbridgeworth is those for Stortford and Stansted, as well as those who live in northern areas of Harlow and don't wish to venture into Harlow itself to get to 7a

Currently, Stortford itself has a significant traffic bottleneck at Hockerill Cross, which causes congestion throughout the day. Traffic currently therefore heading for the M11 from the south of Stortford, and places further afield along the A120 corridor currently use the Stortford northern bypass to reach the M11 at Birchanger Green. However, the A120/B1383 roundabout suffers from significant congestion, as does Birchanger Green itself. My point was that traffic heading for the M11 towards London from south/west Stortford is therefore likely to divert through Sawbridgeworth to reach the M11 at J7a outside of peak hours, which will increase traffic through the village at these times. The traffic studies that have been done appear to show this will be the case, and traffic patterns may alter from within Sawbridgeworth itself to go south to J7a to then travel north on the M11, avoiding Hockerill Cross, the A120/B1383 roundabout, and Birchanger Green. This situation will worsen as many more housing estates are built within the Bishop's Stortford northern bypass, with additional accesses created onto the bypass.

[millionmiledriver]

Hockerill was once a separate village still has its own parish church now its all part of Stortford The cross roads is surrounded by listed buildings so widening is not an option nor should it be

[c2R]

Hockerill was once a separate village still has its own parish church now its all part of Stortford The cross roads is surrounded by listed buildings so widening is not an option nor should it be

No, the only solutions to that really are to either build some form of relief road to relieve traffic (such as a link from the B1383 south of the town to the A1060 then to Birchanger), or do build some additional links inside the town and improve junctions such as the Michaels Lane/Stansted Road junction (to provide full access), or to model the impact of using it as part of a gyratory system on traffic.

That said, if M11 J7a does draw traffic through Sawbridgeworth to the M11, that would relieve some pressure on the Hockerill Cross no doubt.

[Lewis1997]

So basically the road through Lower Sheering (Lower Sheering Road) after the B183 to Sawbridgeworth will become access only?

Yes

Personally, I still don't see how more traffic will be diverted through Sawbridgeworth as the majority of traffic from Harlow are likely to use 7 or 7a depending if they're commuting down to London or up to Cambridge (albeit very few I'd imagine). The only traffic that will head through Sawbridgeworth is those for Stortford and Stansted, as well as those who live in northern areas of Harlow and don't wish to venture into Harlow itself to get to 7a

Currently, Stortford itself has a significant traffic bottleneck at Hockerill Cross, which causes congestion throughout the day. Traffic currently therefore heading for the M11 from the south of Stortford, and places further afield along the A120 corridor currently use the Stortford northern bypass to reach the M11 at Birchanger Green. However, the A120/B1383 roundabout suffers from significant congestion, as does Birchanger Green itself. My point was that traffic heading for the M11 towards London from south/west Stortford is therefore likely to divert through Sawbridgeworth to reach the M11 at J7a outside of peak hours, which will increase traffic through the village at these times. The traffic studies that have been done appear to show this will be the case, and traffic patterns may alter from within Sawbridgeworth itself to go south to J7a to then travel north on the M11, avoiding Hockerill Cross, the A120/B1383 roundabout, and Birchanger Green. This situation will worsen as many more housing estates are built within the Bishop's Stortford northern bypass, with additional accesses created onto the bypass.

I would have thought most traffic from southern areas of stortford would migrate through sawbridgeworth to reach the M11 today anyway. I personally still dont think it will have a massive implication on traffic levels through sawbridgeworth..... this may only be the case on future new development around sawbridgeworth and stortford

[Patrick Harper]

Doing anything around Harlow is difficult because of the multiple local authorities involved.

Ideally I'd like to see the A414 diverted along the old road to High Wych with a western Sawbridgeworth bypass, onto a spur to the M11 north of the village, connect up with the A1060 and continue to Chelmsford. Similar to how it was pre-1986. The M11 junction would include a new link with the B183 and supersede the current J7a plans.

The western end of the spur would continue in that direction as a new A1184, bypassing Spellbrook and meeting St. James Way near the Moor Hall Lane roundabout.

[roadphotos]

As somebody has correctly pointed out the M11 was always supposed to go to the west and north of Harlow, this is why the industrial estates are all on the west and north of town, they were supposed to have easy access to the M11. Mr Gibberd who designed Harlow was very disappointed when the M11 was constructed to the south and east of the town. He described this as like being asked to plan a seaside town only to find that the sea had been moved to the other side. This still doesn't explain why all these years later no one has built a new road from the M11 to the industrial areas and the A414 to Hertford. The planned road from a new junction 7a will only link to the current B183 Sheering Road and still head into Harlow. Also this road is only going ahead in the next few years because it's tied in with all the housing developments that are going ahead between Harlow and the M11. Another thing that's easy to miss is that the proposed road link to Harlow from the new junction 7a is shown on the 2018 A-Z road atlas but you have to study it carefully to notice it.

[Phil]

My understanding is that the road through Lower Sheering will be made access only, and therefore traffic will more likely divert through Sawbridgeworth; other than during the rush hour when the road is at a complete standstill anyway!

And how exactly is that going to be enforced?

If there is one thing we know these days, lots of drivers ignore roadsigns and rely on various digital mapping solutions to get around. Thus I find it hard to believe that any 'Local access signage' will make any difference, particularly if it saves large chunks of time.

Talk about the British not being willing to do the job properly - even if a link to the A414 was not built its pretty obvious that a new road as far as the A1184 is pretty essential to avoid rat running as motorists seek ways of avoiding trekking through Harlow to get to the M11

[BigBazz]

My understanding is that the road through Lower Sheering will be made access only, and therefore traffic will more likely divert through Sawbridgeworth; other than during the rush hour when the road is at a complete standstill anyway!

And how exactly is that going to be enforced?

Slap a 20mph limit on it, with severe traffic calming and scameras aplenty, making it such a pig to drive that nobody would do so out of choice?

[Phil]

My understanding is that the road through Lower Sheering will be made access only, and therefore traffic will more likely divert through Sawbridgeworth; other than during the rush hour when the road is at a complete standstill anyway!

And how exactly is that going to be enforced?

Slap a 20mph limit on it, with severe traffic calming and scameras aplenty, making it such a pig to drive that nobody would do so out of choice?

That only works if the alternative is worse - and if the alternative is crawling through Harlow to get to J7 then the pain might be worth it to get to J7A

Granted I may be proved wrong....

[c2R]

There's a current consultation ongoing for Harlow's local plan: http://www.harlow.gov.uk/emerging-strategy

This looks to propose the usual - a massive amount of new housing and road improvements that should have been put in place 15 years or more ago, rather than to support the 20,000 new homes that are proposed.

[roadphotos]

A couple of weeks ago an article in the local newspaper (the Harlow Star) said that work was going to start on the new M11 to Harlow link road this winter. If this is the case then it should be finished well before the expected 2021 completion date. If the article is correct then the reason for the earlier start date must be because they are desperate to get the road in place as soon as possible so they can get on with building the houses. Does anyone else have any information on this.

[Big Nick]

They have changed the layout of the A414 north through Harlow from Potter Street roundabout to the Clock Tower Roundabout. Where it was D2 into S2 plus extra lanes at the roundabouts it is now S2+1 all the way along. Quite why they didn't go the whole hog and make it D2 the whole way I do not know...
Driving on the old hatched road is a pain in the bum. They just burnt the markings off instead of relaying the surface.

This used to be an S3 suicide lane....
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.75889 ... 6656?hl=en

[roadphotos]

The roundabout improvements at the A414/B183 junction have now been completed only for work to start on the next roundabout where the A414 meets the A1184. Also when travelling north on the A414 the new B183 sign reads B1833.

[Big Nick]

There's been an almighty mess along Edinburgh Way the last 6 months opposite Tesco where they have banned right turns for no obvious reason. This forces everyone visiting Tesco to turn round at the roundabouts at River Way (the tip) and Cambridge Road (to Bishops Stortford).
http://www.essexhighways.org/highway-sc ... -road.aspx

The plan is to install dual carriageways with central reservation along that stretch of A414. Apparently they started digging and found a set of uncharted utilities (suspect it's gas) under the cycle path along the north side. This long ditch has been left open while they work out who to blame, who to charge and find somebody to move and relocate said utilities.

What the council really needs to sort out is the endless delays along the A414 between River Way and Howard Way (McDonalds). The prime culprit there is the awful traffic lights and lane layout by KFC/Argos/O-I factory. This is something that Harlow of late excels in, forcing lane changes at the last moment with no warning.
https://www.google.com/maps/@0,0,3a,60y ... 312!8i6656

[c2R]

They have changed the layout of the A414 north through Harlow from Potter Street roundabout to the Clock Tower Roundabout. Where it was D2 into S2 plus extra lanes at the roundabouts it is now S2+1 all the way along. Quite why they didn't go the whole hog and make it D2 the whole way I do not know...

It's so they can do it all again in a couple of years, and widen the bit they missed the last time, a bit like they did on the approach to Hastingwood Interchange in about 2000...

[roadphotos]

There are now marker posts along the B183. I'm guessing this is for the widening works for the new M11 link, this could mean that work is about to start on the Harlow to M11 link road. The existing B183 is planned to be widened as part of the scheme.

[MayzieY]

See:
http://www.essexhighways.org/transport- ... on-7a.aspx

"Advance works for construction of the new junction and its supporting infrastructure are expected to start in Gilden Way in May 2018. These advance works are essential to facilitate any future highways or property development in the area."

[hanbol]

It is now the A1025. See Harlow Eastern Bypass and A1025