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roadphotos wrote:Even when lane 3 of the A130 is finally open there will still be the problem where the road joins the A12. The section north of the A130 (constructed in the mid 1980s) is only 2 lanes wide and this already causes congestion where traffic from the A130 joins the A12 northbound, every day there's congestion here. This part of the A12 should have had 3 lanes to begin with, also the bridges on this section of the A12 are only wide enough for the existing 2 lanes as no room was left for future widening when this part of the A12 was built because the government of the time wanted it built as cheaply as possible. To make matters worse current plans to widen the A12 do not include this section. The A130 joins the A12 at junction 17 but the widening plans are from junction 19 at Boreham to junction 27 for Colchester. Another interesting point is that there are plans to make the A12 junction 19 a free flowing junction with the proposed new A131 to the north east of Chelmsford joining the A12 here so there will be a free flowing link to the A12 south just after the A12 has been reduced from 3 lanes to 2 so with all the new houses currently being built to the north east of Chelmsford I predict major jams in the future.
The A130 roundabout under J17 is also a badly designed junction, made even worse by the large amount of HGV's that now seem to be using this road. It is often the source of major congestion down the A130 from the Rettendon area, even on days when the A12 n/b (morning and evening) doesn't tail back to the slip roads at J17 (which causes traffic to back up on to the J17 roundabout, and inevitably carnage).
The shape of the roundabout prevents any kind of stacking capacity for A12(N) traffic. Cue gridlock and miles of queues most mornings up the A130
Unfortunately the dilemma of two different bodies running the A12 and A130 meant this junction wasn't 'fixed' when they had the chance, when they built the A130 bypass.
As of this week they are also now carrying out work on the Sandon Brook stretch at Howe Green, so clear there are several areas of the road that are an issue. All the fencing South of the A12 beside the road has been removed during this latest stage of work.
Work starts on the northbound side from the end of this week.
Work has unsurprisingly - given the weather of late - overrun on the Southbound side, as it was supposed to finish in December. Still work going on at both ends of the carriageway - especially at Sandon Brook.
Runwell wrote:
The shape of the roundabout prevents any kind of stacking capacity for A12(N) traffic. Cue gridlock and miles of queues most mornings up the A130
Unfortunately the dilemma of two different bodies running the A12 and A130 meant this junction wasn't 'fixed' when they had the chance, when they built the A130 bypass.
I suspect the A12 has been left until later on purpose - to look at traffic models, see what's going to happen with the A120 route further north, the new housing, what difference the lower thames crossing makes to strategic traffic, that sort of thing.
A good solution would be to build a parallel A130 dual carriageway link so that A130 traffic does not multiplex with the A12 but free flows around Chelmsford - but there's no point in doing that unless it's where all the traffic is going...
Went through the works area over the weekend for the first time since January.
Looks like the work southbound at Rettendon, which was the first part to be touched, is now complete. All machinery and portacabins have gone from that layby. They planned to close the road for one night last week, which I assume was to remove the varioguard, and possibly reinstate NSL back a few miles? However this was cancelled due to the snow.
Work seems to be nearing completion at the Sandon brook too, with the noiseproof fencing now being gradually reassembled. Hopefully southbound will be complete by Easter.
Northbound also appears to be moving along well. They are already starting to reinstate the barriers along the edge of the road around Rettendon, whilst work at Rettendon Common seems to be progressing well. Looks like they are now starting to do work on the stretch at Howe Green, with the barriers beginning to be taken down. Signs now seem to have changed, with the completion date put back to July.
Runwell wrote:Went through the works area over the weekend for the first time since January.
Looks like the work southbound at Rettendon, which was the first part to be touched, is now complete. All machinery and portacabins have gone from that layby. They planned to close the road for one night last week, which I assume was to remove the varioguard, and possibly reinstate NSL back a few miles? However this was cancelled due to the snow.
Work seems to be nearing completion at the Sandon brook too, with the noiseproof fencing now being gradually reassembled. Hopefully southbound will be complete by Easter.
That was a pretty smart guess. After seeing signs saying 'Layby closed from early November for 18 weeks' this evening at the northern end, just seen it announced that they hope to have southbound fully open with three lanes by the end of the month.
The varioguard has been removed this week from the southernmost works area, and is now just coned off as per before. However the narrow lanes remain in place for no genuine reason along that stretch, meaning the 50mph remains in force. No signs warning of overnight closures before they are removed, so not sure if they are having a CBA and leaving them until the whole s/b stretch is completed? They have only partially installed some of the new signage, and looks like some signs will have to be relocated as well. The current NSL resumption sign is at the top of the hill, before the signage begins.
Works appear to have been completed at the Rettendon end. The vario was removed earlier this week in that area, except where the works site is in one of the laybys, which they haven't cleared away.
Still lots of work taking place at Sandon Brook, but that looks to be the only area left to work on.
Went along here again yesterday. Looks like the remaining work northbound at Sandon Brook is very close to being completed. Earthworks 95% complete at least I'd say, and most of the barriers are now in place too. Signs before the A12 not yet fully erected, but it looks like it could be ALR by the end of the month.
Well I went through here last week. All main work appeared to have been completed. The works compound in the layby at Rettendon Common has also been cleared. All works vehicles removed as well.
For the last few nights the road has been closed, with the remaining varioguard now removed, most of the studs for the narrow lanes now gone, and a large proportion of the temporary lane markings fully resurfaced (may actually be fully resurfacing all of the temporary markings, as it was preparing to be closed again as I went through a short time ago). Not sure if they have started changing the layout of the Rettendon entry slip yet? The new signs are starting to go in.
Hopefully it will be fully open within the next week, and back up to NSL.
And since last night, although the new lane hasn't opened, the 50 signs have been collected, and it's all NSL again, but for a half mile stretch two miles south of the A12, where it seems there are a few studs to still remove (would imagine that will be resolved tonight). All other final markings now appear to be done though, except for the on slip from Rettendon. Just a few bits of signing to amend, and it should be ready to go.
Well, since the last update, nothing seems to have happened. I am guessing that there is yet another issue with subsidence or the embankment two miles south of the A12, but if there is there has been no sign of any work going on, nor any announcements made.
Approaching two years now, since the third lane was due to be opened.
Noticed the other night that they were working at last on the barriers along the affected stretch, although they were working on other sections both ways too, and there were no speed restrictions there. Oh well. Still the change to the markings to do at the Rettendon entry slip, but looks like it might be finally close to opening.
While it's great they (eventually) widened this, it's a shame that southbound starts off squeezed to two lanes. This is because there's 50 metres of two-lane pinchpoint in the SE corner of the A12 dogbone: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70238 ... a=!3m1!1e3 It would be trivial to fix this.
jackal wrote: ↑Thu Dec 10, 2020 08:46
While it's great they (eventually) widened this, it's a shame that southbound starts off squeezed to two lanes. This is because there's 50 metres of two-lane pinchpoint in the SE corner of the A12 dogbone: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.70238 ... a=!3m1!1e3 It would be trivial to fix this.
Wrong markings for a kick off as that arrow is reserved purely for the end of a bus lane.
I think the answer as to why it's two lanes for 50 metres is DMRB related, you couldn't possibly have three lanes off a roundabout as this would confuse motorists or some drivel.
More importantly, who decided that the appropriate connection between two expressways (ironic that the Essex controlled A130 is more of an Expressway than HE's own efforts) was a dogbone roundabout? That has to scream the then HA refusing to have funded anything bigger built onto their network.
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Truvelo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 10, 2020 15:16
Three bridges is all it takes to produce this freeflowing layout. Connections between north and east aren't needed.
I'm not keen - the tight loop on the key A130 > A12 northbound movement...
I hope that one day something like Ferrybridge happens here, with the A130 and A12 running alongside oneanother around the eastern part of the Chelmsford bypass...
