A55's mainland roundabouts to go

[wrinkly]

Daily Post:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w ... d-14043419

The video soundtrack includes an explanation of the timeline. There's to be a more detailed consultation in 9 months.

Still apparently no plans online.

[Glenn A]

About time, as an otherwise decent road is spoiled by these two roundabouts.

[wrinkly]

Another round of exhibitions and consultation

https://gov.wales/newsroom/transport/20 ... s/?lang=en

And though the above press release doesn't mention it, poking around the WG website locates some plans:

https://beta.gov.wales/a55-junction-15- ... nsultation

And indeed they claim to have been published in December, soon after the posts above.

[danfw194]

Too many options on the table, meaning the consultation could drag on. I love driving in this part of the world, but these roundabouts are a pain, both for A55 through traffic and for traffic trying to join the A55.

For Junction 15 (Llanfairfechan) I like option 2, which gives direct access to the promenade. But I imagine any proposition to build an overbridge at this location would be met with fierce opposition from the homeowners of that row of houses near the roundabout - it would cut their sea views off. Personally I think they could get away with just doing option 1 here, which is surely the cheapest and easiest to build. Ok, it would mean that some Llanfairfechan residents travelling A55 eastbound would have a slightly longer drive home from junction 14, but it wouldn't be that much hassle.

For Junction 16 (Penmaenmawr), option 1 definitely looks the most suitable. I think you've got to maintain an A55 eastbound exit here for residents of Dwygyfylchi. I realise this slightly contradicts my view of Llanfairfechan above, but I don't think it would be right to the leave the only eastbound exit as Junction 15a. Llanfairfechan stands alone as a settlement, whereas you've got two separate settlements to cater for here.

[ThelwallViaduct]

Regarding Llanfairfechan, it seems to me that the eastbound on-slip could be provided between the A55 and railway, using the network rail access track as it currently is and utilising the space provided by ditching the roundabout for the on-slip - might be a bit steep though. Option 1 is definitely the cheapest and works fine for 3 movements but eastbound A55 access is where there's a major increase in journey time.

[jackal]

The only turning movement that really needs to be provided across the two junctions is the eastbound entry at J16. The other movements are provided within a reasonable distance, given we are talking very low traffic volumes.

For J15, option 2 is rather overbuilt, with a visually intrusive overbridge and retaining walls all over the place. DMRB says you should use signals at crossroad GSJs, so it won't even be particularly great for journey times. Option 5 is similarly extravagant.

Options 1 and 4 are the kind of thing I would go for, though even option 1 is a bit overengineered (the underbridge widening could be avoided by reducing the radius of the LILO, which is generous compared to other options). Option 3 will be a bit more expensive as it has the new bridge but it isn't too bad (and at least it's an underbridge).

For J16, the options are rather similar and I have no real preference, though each of them could have a slip or two removed if savings are required.

[Bryn666]

DMRB says a lot of things; other places cope with give ways on low volume slip roads yet we need signals.

More wasteful and silly unfounded nonsense from the bible of bloat that helps contribute to roads being done on the cheap because its impossibly ridiculous specs can rarely be met - why does a 30 mph road need 90m radii for example, talk about overbuilt.

[danfw194]

I missed the bit about signals. What a joke that would be, completely unnecessary at these proposed junctions. Why is there such an obsession with signalised junctions in the UK?.....I know there are a lot of poor drivers around, but sometimes you've just got to trust us!

[Rillington]

About time, as an otherwise decent road is spoiled by these two roundabouts.

Agreed. The removal of these roundabouts is long overdue.

[danfw194]

https://gov.wales/plan-replace-a55-roun ... ep-forward

https://gov.wales/a55-junctions-15-and-16-improvements

So the consultation for this ended last year, and a couple of months ago two options were chosen to persist with:

Junction 15 - Option D
Junction 16 - Option A

Both options seem perfectly sensible, but from having a quick scan read over the consultation response, it seems like there is a lot of work still to be done before a finalised plan is rubber-stamped.

[jackal]

Again, it's weird there are slips duplicating movements, especially at J16a as they presumably mean it will be signalised.

And why does the westbound offslip at J15 seemingly terminate at a T-junction, when there is no use for the right turn? Perhaps a traffic calming measure? The westbound onslip seems to have more of a freeflow arrangement.

https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/c ... ex-b_0.pdf

[Bryn666]

Again, it's weird there are slips duplicating movements, especially at J16a as they presumably mean it will be signalised.

And why does the westbound offslip at J15 seemingly terminate at a T-junction, when there is no use for the right turn? Perhaps a traffic calming measure? The westbound onslip seems to have more of a freeflow arrangement.

https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/c ... ex-b_0.pdf

DMRB and its stupid insistence on gigantic slip roads even for low flow GSJs like this meaning you end up using a give way as the standards won't allow a low radius turn.

[nowster]

The corresponding junction the other side of Penmaenbach Tunnel at Conwy Marina is also a Give Way diamond.

[Pendlemac]

Again, it's weird there are slips duplicating movements, especially at J16a as they presumably mean it will be signalised.

And why does the westbound offslip at J15 seemingly terminate at a T-junction, when there is no use for the right turn? Perhaps a traffic calming measure? The westbound onslip seems to have more of a freeflow arrangement.

https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/c ... ex-b_0.pdf

Presumably because the road under the A55 will have to replace the current link via Shore Road East.

The text 'A55 JUNCTIONS 15 & 16 IMPROVEMENTS TR111 ROUTE PROTECTED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES' on the plan shows that this is NOT the final plan but just a general indication of where the roads will go.

[jackal]

Again, it's weird there are slips duplicating movements, especially at J16a as they presumably mean it will be signalised.

And why does the westbound offslip at J15 seemingly terminate at a T-junction, when there is no use for the right turn? Perhaps a traffic calming measure? The westbound onslip seems to have more of a freeflow arrangement.

https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/c ... ex-b_0.pdf

Presumably because the road under the A55 will have to replace the current link via Shore Road East.

There's no new link to the north on the map and it's hard to see how it could fit in. Also, as I say, the westbound onslip is not aligned to accept turns from the north.

[danfw194]

The corresponding junction the other side of Penmaenbach Tunnel at Conwy Marina is also a Give Way diamond.

And that junction works adequately with no signals, so fingers crossed these new junctions would follow suit. Other than perhaps in the height of the summer holidays, there really would be no need to signalise either of these junctions.

[wrinkly]

Draft orders and a whole load of associated documents now published to grade separate the two junctions. Will post a link later.

[Al__S]

looking back at the start of this thread, I always love when there's approval for works that no doubt the local press had been calling for for a long time, that the stories are immediately "MISERY AS ROADWORKS WILL TAKE SOME TIME"

[traffic-light-man]

And why does the westbound offslip at J15 seemingly terminate at a T-junction, when there is no use for the right turn? Perhaps a traffic calming measure? The westbound onslip seems to have more of a freeflow arrangement.

I wonder if there's also a desire to allow an off-and-on or U-turn movement at this junction, and so a give-way 'T' allows the right turn to make both of those movements?

[jackal]

The public inquiry into the scheme was halted due to the Welsh government's climate-inspired review of road schemes. The review panel is supposed to decide whether the inquiry can go ahead in the new year:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north- ... s-22124206

The review has already imposed a substantial delay. As recently as March it was hoped construction would be underway by now:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north- ... n-20244657