Norwich Northern Bypass Update

[wrinkly]

The Norwich northern distributor road was approved on June 2. Have I missed a post about this by locals?

http://infrastructure.planningportal.go ... -road-ndr/

[skiddaw05]

The Norwich northern distributor road was approved on June 2. Have I missed a post about this by locals?

http://infrastructure.planningportal.go ... -road-ndr/

Not sure. I was thinking of putting one on but this thread seems as good a place as anywhere. A far from suprising outcome but for me still a very disappointing one.

[Derek]

I hadn't seen that, bad news indeed but not really unexpected.

Derek

[jackal]

I thought the terminal junction was planned to be like what's on google maps, i.e. retaining existing slips. The actual design is far worse.

The plan seems to be to block up the old slips on the A47 eastbound to get as much traffic as possible onto the signalized junction and NNDR roundabout, even if that traffic doesn't want to be there and doesn't have to be with prior infrastructure. So turning off the A47eb towards Norwich will go from a dedicated freeflow filter at a roundabout to a right turn at a roundabout, then a right turn at a signalized crossroads, then a left turn at a roundabout (no filter). There are similar 'improvements' to all other movements to/from the A1042 and business park. It just seems so destructive and spiteful.

[c2R]

I must say: I love the sign - it looks like a kraftwerk album cover really brings to mind the era of concrete, roads, and the autobahn.

[jackal]

As predicted by basically everyone except the council, the new junction is getting long tailbacks (thanks to c2R for link). I really do wonder if they had the work experience kid do the traffic forecasting or something.

[Owain]

I must say: I love the sign - it looks like a kraftwerk album cover really brings to mind the era of concrete, roads, and the autobahn.

[skiddaw05]

As predicted by basically everyone except the council, the new junction is getting long tailbacks (thanks to c2R for link). I really do wonder if they had the work experience kid do the traffic forecasting or something.

A section of the article states :
"Temporary traffic lights are to be trialled on that roundabout to allow traffic crossing the old bridge (from the south side to the north side) to go through the roundabout without having to give way."
This they indeed did during a morning rush hour, and it had to be abandoned after 40 minutes because the whole thing ground to a halt.

I'm not sure how to comment further on the tale of this seemingly unprecedented level of incompetence.

[c2R]

pli03411.jpg

Yes, that's absolutely the sort of thing I was thinking about..... In fact, I want that on my living room wall right now!

[owen b]

pli03411.jpg

Yes, that's absolutely the sort of thing I was thinking about..... In fact, I want that on my living room wall right now!

It's a beautiful sign . It's even got a Norfolk built Lotus on it.

[Owain]

pli03411.jpg

Yes, that's absolutely the sort of thing I was thinking about..... In fact, I want that on my living room wall right now!

It's a beautiful sign . It's even got a Norfolk built Lotus on it.

For a moment, I thought you were referring to the Nazi Germany poster!

But yes, the Lotus is a really nice touch.

[c2R]

According to todays edp, youtube/drummerdan has aerial drone footage shot on April 19 of progress. Apparently ten massive beams to form part of the bridge over the railway were put in place earlier this month....

[c2R]

I travelled the A1067 today - the roundabout here http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/inde ... 16&layer=0 has definitely taken shape, and there is good progress that can be seen on the surfacing of the new road heading back in the Norwich direction.

[skiddaw05]

The first section from the A1067 to the A140 (ie the non primary bit*) is now open. You can now drive between Taverham and Horsford like never before.
(*Should it extend westwards to the A47 it will go green of course)

A few weeks ago for a one day event it was opened for cycles and pedestrians. Now if only all cycle paths were like that!

[doebag]

A140 to A1151 now open.

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2 ... oad-opens/

[skiddaw05]

I've had a drive along it, yes it's nice to have a virtually deserted bit of D2 to go along, obviously it will be busier once it joins onto the A47 at Postwick but even so it does seem slightly extravagant.

[skiddaw05]

I've had a drive along it, yes it's nice to have a virtually deserted bit of D2 to go along, obviously it will be busier once it joins onto the A47 at Postwick but even so it does seem slightly extravagant.

[Derek]

I've had a drive along it, yes it's nice to have a virtually deserted bit of D2 to go along, obviously it will be busier once it joins onto the A47 at Postwick but even so it does seem slightly extravagant.

I suppose I should have a go on it, might do that tomorrow if I have time. But the reason it seems extravagant is becuase the development it's designed to enable hasn't happened yet. Once the suburban sprawl this road is designed to enable happens it'll be busy enough.

Derek

[stu531]

The original idea was for a D2 road all the way from one end of the Southern Bypass to the other, but the Western end would have had to go through a particularly lovely (and wealthy) river valley at Ringland. So this route further west was proposed to fill the gap. Trouble is though this section was only ever going to be S2 and it would have been congested from the start. So the route was left stranded on the A1067 to the north of Norwich. But at least that would have picked up traffic from the north and given it a route around Norwich, now that section has gone as well with the D2 ending on the A140, so the proposed route wouldn't do any good. This will mean not only the rat runs across the valley remain, but also those through the northern suburbs which are already horrendous. The whole of north Norwich is a textbook illustration of suburban sprawl, car based development with no provision for the traffic it generated. The NDR as is will only make all the problems there much worse.

Has there been any news on the western side of the bypass since - i.e. the missing section? I can't see anything on the council's website. As mentioned, I can imagine a rat run will open up through the Wensum Valley. And if the idea is to open up the north side of Norwich to trade, then surely a huge proportion of traffic will intend to go west (A47) as opposed to just A11? And even to get to the A11 from the north, it's a long way around?

It feels like, if the distributor is successful, it will demand calls to complete its west side to make it worthwhile.

[Derek]

The original idea was for a D2 road all the way from one end of the Southern Bypass to the other, but the Western end would have had to go through a particularly lovely (and wealthy) river valley at Ringland. So this route further west was proposed to fill the gap. Trouble is though this section was only ever going to be S2 and it would have been congested from the start. So the route was left stranded on the A1067 to the north of Norwich. But at least that would have picked up traffic from the north and given it a route around Norwich, now that section has gone as well with the D2 ending on the A140, so the proposed route wouldn't do any good. This will mean not only the rat runs across the valley remain, but also those through the northern suburbs which are already horrendous. The whole of north Norwich is a textbook illustration of suburban sprawl, car based development with no provision for the traffic it generated. The NDR as is will only make all the problems there much worse.

Has there been any news on the western side of the bypass since - i.e. the missing section? I can't see anything on the council's website. As mentioned, I can imagine a rat run will open up through the Wensum Valley. And if the idea is to open up the north side of Norwich to trade, then surely a huge proportion of traffic will intend to go west (A47) as opposed to just A11? And even to get to the A11 from the north, it's a long way around?

It feels like, if the distributor is successful, it will demand calls to complete its west side to make it worthwhile.

Things moved on a bit from my post above and the road has actually been built as D2 all the way through to the A1067, but there it stops leaving the gap across the river valley.

The present plan is to build something as S2 to connect to the A47, but any such route will trash another area of countryside and in anycase, be underpowered as an S2.

No, the NDR is a disaster, an example of pure greed designed to enable suburban sprawl tot he north of Norwich. This is a road which has been built with the stated aim of creating more traffic.

Derek