New Lower Thames Crossing
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
This thread has veered way off topic to discuss the A14 at Catthorpe - and various post reports have been filed to that end.
As a result, I have rehomed all these posts here, so the discussion on this thread can get back to the LTC.
Keep safe all, Manomay
As a result, I have rehomed all these posts here, so the discussion on this thread can get back to the LTC.
Keep safe all, Manomay
Though roads may not put a smile on everyone's face, there is one road that always will: the road to home.
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
The M80 was in three parts - the first section being the M876 M9 M80 triangle just south of Stirling that was off line mosty. The next section was the M80 from the M8, again that was off line. The last section does however contain 1/4 off line and 3/4 online upgrade.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 17:45I was referring to new alignments and not direct upgrades or adjacent replacements of existing roads, otherwise the M80 also counts.Gav wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 16:05M77 to kilmarnock D2M later than 1997... and still a major motorway is it not ?Bryn666 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 12:43 The last major motorway to be built as D2M was in 1997. This was the "missing link" of the M65.
It was designed to be widened later because they knew even in 1997 D2 would not be enough - the design year was 2010 and traffic volumes surpassed that several years before.
Despite being probably the easiest motorway in the UK to widen right now, it seems unlikely to ever happen because it's not seen as anything other than a local link.
The quality of the road does matter but the simple reality is blue lines on a map attract traffic in a way green ones do not.
If you want to properly bypass urban areas or bottlenecks, then you need to be building fully access controlled roads from the start and preventing tin sheds from popping up alongside them, not deliberately building half-cocked development generating spine roads with wishy-washy restrictions and no specified purpose so they become overloaded within a year of opening.
It's yet another reason why this country is a complete planning disaster.
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
The northern end of the M80 originally opened as A80 and was upgraded to M80 later. Likewise the first bit of the M876 there. The very epitome of online upgrade.Gav wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 21:50The M80 was in three parts - the first section being the M876 M9 M80 triangle just south of Stirling that was off line mosty. The next section was the M80 from the M8, again that was off line. The last section does however contain 1/4 off line and 3/4 online upgrade.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
Ah well I stand corrected - the A80 was indeed a dual carriageway A road initially when the denny bypass was built - Including the A876. And when they decided to extend the road to meet with the stirling bypass it was decided to upgrade the A80 and A876 to motorway starting from the haggs junction. heading north. Interestingly the A80 became motorway before the A876 bcame motorway according to the OS maps on sabre. We had an A road running inescapably to a motorway before the A14 debuncle...Bryn666 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 22:37The northern end of the M80 originally opened as A80 and was upgraded to M80 later. Likewise the first bit of the M876 there. The very epitome of online upgrade.Gav wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 21:50The M80 was in three parts - the first section being the M876 M9 M80 triangle just south of Stirling that was off line mosty. The next section was the M80 from the M8, again that was off line. The last section does however contain 1/4 off line and 3/4 online upgrade.
So you are indeed right about the A80 around denny - however the M80 north of denny was an offline D2M construction up to the M9 juction.
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
I suspect that's the OS jumping the gun a little on the reclassification of the A80 as M80. I don't have access at this instant to my notes from investigating the Edinburgh Gazette, but if I remember correctly the reclassification of the A80 and A876 were simultaneous with each other and with the opening of the offline M80 from Ingliston (the temporary roundabout) to Stirling. At least according to the official Notices of Opening.
In the original construction of the AP D2 bypasses, the A80 came a couple of years before the A876 (c. 1964 versus c. 1966).
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Last edited by A303Chris on Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:50, edited 1 time in total.
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- Chris Bertram
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
Do Jacobs have directors who are related to members of the government, or were at school with them? If so, there's your answer.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
I guess you are completely unaware that Jacobs is a multinational engineering company headquartered in the US?Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:42Do Jacobs have directors who are related to members of the government, or were at school with them? If so, there's your answer.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
They have never had the resource or expertise to carry the role that Jacobs have been appointed to and have always used consultancies for site supervision and project management.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
So what exactly is HE for then? Why bother with that extra bureaucracy and frankly crap oversight if they just tender/appoint others?RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:53They have never had the resource or expertise to carry the role that Jacobs have been appointed to and have always used consultancies for site supervision and project management.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Isn't this exactly what the supposed quango bonfires were meant to sort out?
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
What is HE for:Bryn666 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:57So what exactly is HE for then? Why bother with that extra bureaucracy and frankly crap oversight if they just tender/appoint others?RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:53They have never had the resource or expertise to carry the role that Jacobs have been appointed to and have always used consultancies for site supervision and project management.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Isn't this exactly what the supposed quango bonfires were meant to sort out?
"We're the government company which plans, designs, builds, operates and maintains England’s motorways and major A-roads, known as the strategic road network (SRN)"
Like all companies, they contract out much of the construction aspects of projects to those who know what they are doing, just as it was when the M1 was first constructed in the late 50s
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
I'm not an industry insider, so no. But given the levels of cronyism currently operating within government procurement, I hope you'll concede that it's a reasonable question to ask.RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:49I guess you are completely unaware that Jacobs is a multinational engineering company headquartered in the US?Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:42Do Jacobs have directors who are related to members of the government, or were at school with them? If so, there's your answer.A303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
“The quality of any advice anybody has to offer has to be judged against the quality of life they actually lead.” - Douglas Adams.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
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Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
I know how procurement and project management works. What I am asking is why an extra layer of cost by having middlemen by appointment between the Secretary of State and consultants is seemingly there and how does this provide better return for the public purse than the old RCU system did, because given the questionably quality of a number of trunk road schemes recently with signs being completely wrong, cut-and-paste design elements with scant regard to the surrounding visual amenity, etc, etc, there seems to be a major problem here.JammyDodge wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:02What is HE for:Bryn666 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:57So what exactly is HE for then? Why bother with that extra bureaucracy and frankly crap oversight if they just tender/appoint others?RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:53 They have never had the resource or expertise to carry the role that Jacobs have been appointed to and have always used consultancies for site supervision and project management.
Isn't this exactly what the supposed quango bonfires were meant to sort out?
"We're the government company which plans, designs, builds, operates and maintains England’s motorways and major A-roads, known as the strategic road network (SRN)"
Like all companies, they contract out much of the construction aspects of projects to those who know what they are doing, just as it was when the M1 was first constructed in the late 50s
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
- RichardA35
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
It is, but HE is at arms length from ministerial interference and the procurement process is a world away from the panic buying of masks and "track and trace" services by central government.Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:04I'm not an industry insider, so no. But given the levels of cronyism currently operating within government procurement, I hope you'll concede that it's a reasonable question to ask.RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:49I guess you are completely unaware that Jacobs is a multinational engineering company headquartered in the US?Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:42 Do Jacobs have directors who are related to members of the government, or were at school with them? If so, there's your answer.
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
'Arms length' isn't very reassuring. I, for instance, am fully aware of virtually everything to do with my own hands, in spite of them being literally at arms length from the rest of me.RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:47It is, but HE is at arms length from ministerial interference and the procurement process is a world away from the panic buying of masks and "track and trace" services by central government.Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:04I'm not an industry insider, so no. But given the levels of cronyism currently operating within government procurement, I hope you'll concede that it's a reasonable question to ask.RichardA35 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:49 I guess you are completely unaware that Jacobs is a multinational engineering company headquartered in the US?
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
My favourite example of a plan for "signs being completely wrong" is M49 J1 where they had bizarrely decided to call the new junction M49 J18A.
The conversation would have gone something like this:
This new junction on M49: we are going to call it M49 J18A.
Err, why M49 J18A and not M49 J1?
Well, because M49 comes from M5 J18, so the M49 junction should be J18A.
No, M49 comes from M5 J18A, not M5 J18. So we already have an 18A.
Oh, two junctions both called J18A. Aha, we could call the new one J18B.
(Sigh) Please just call it M49 J1
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
The signs were still covered in black sheeting when I last went that way, did they really sign it as J18A? FFS.gepree68 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 14:15My favourite example of a plan for "signs being completely wrong" is M49 J1 where they had bizarrely decided to call the new junction M49 J18A.
The conversation would have gone something like this:
This new junction on M49: we are going to call it M49 J18A.
Err, why M49 J18A and not M49 J1?
Well, because M49 comes from M5 J18, so the M49 junction should be J18A.
No, M49 comes from M5 J18A, not M5 J18. So we already have an 18A.
Oh, two junctions both called J18A. Aha, we could call the new one J18B.
(Sigh) Please just call it M49 J1
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
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Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
Quite suspicious when Jacobs' main area of expertise is cream crackers and club biscuitsA303Chris wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 09:37 This is unbelievable, Highways England have awarded Jacobs a £162.5m Integration Partner contract. Jacobs will act as a catalyst for collaboration between Highways England and the Lower Thames Crossing’s three main works contracts.
Surely HE have the resources in house to do this.
Re: New Lower Thames Crossing
No, don't worry. Apparently it will be called M49 J1.
All we need them to do now is to, err, connect the built M49 J1 roundabout to A403