Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

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mapboy
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by mapboy »

It would appear that part of the improvements being constructed includes the introduction of 40mph limits around the roundabouts, supposedly for safety purposes; also the dual-carriageway will remain at 60mph rather than following NSL. I don't understand the need for the 40 limits - by nature the speed limit is self-enforcing as one has to slow for the roundabouts. :?
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Jeni »

Progress as of last week...

All lanes that are due to be opened for this part of the works are now open - 2 down the hill, 1 up with D2 either side of the railway bridge.

Supposedly widening the railway bridge is due to start this summer.

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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by wrinkly »

I found this post on the Rail UK forums:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/wo ... ge.162726/
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by pthomas »

The county council has published an animation showing the plans for installing the new railway bridge

https://youtu.be/2iLN5vLj6Gs
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by jackal »

The first three phases of this scheme are complete, so the A4440 is dualled between the Whittington (A44) and Ketch (A38) roundabouts. Phase 4, taking the dualling up to Powick roundabout (A449) and completing the scheme, is due to complete in Spring 2022.

It's pretty impressive for a local authority project with several major structures, including at the railway and Severn. As mentioned above, speed limits generally seem to be 60mph with 40mph at the roundabouts, which is more a novelty than a real hindrance IMO.

There were some funny little west facing GSJs for property access on the single carriageway bypass that are retained in revised form going by the video.



https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/ ... provements
Last edited by jackal on Mon Apr 12, 2021 16:51, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Truvelo »

There's such a reluctance for local authority schemes to be NSL these days :@
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Norfolktolancashire
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Norfolktolancashire »

Truvelo wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 16:20 There's such a reluctance for local authority schemes to be NSL these days :@
Is it due to some of the road schemes built by them are of such design that they would not be "safe" for NSL?

These are cheaper to construct and therefore more likely to get the relevant go ahead from the finance side of things.

An example is the A6 just north of Preston, the recently opened Broughton bypass. This D2 has been constructed without any central barrier and is 40mph.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.80737 ... 312!8i6656
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jackal
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by jackal »

For the A4440 I think they may have kept some of the old alignment as eastbound carriageway, which would explain the 60mph limit.
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mapboy
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by mapboy »

jackal wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 07:09 For the A4440 I think they may have kept some of the old alignment as eastbound carriageway, which would explain the 60mph limit.
That certainly was the case for some of the earlier parts of the scheme. Before the new railway bridge was constructed the new westbound carriageway started/finished either side of embankment whilst traffic used what is now the eastbound carriageway.
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Fenlander »

Norfolktolancashire wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 22:10
Truvelo wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 16:20 There's such a reluctance for local authority schemes to be NSL these days :@
Is it due to some of the road schemes built by them are of such design that they would not be "safe" for NSL?

These are cheaper to construct and therefore more likely to get the relevant go ahead from the finance side of things.

An example is the A6 just north of Preston, the recently opened Broughton bypass. This D2 has been constructed without any central barrier and is 40mph.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.80737 ... 312!8i6656
The tactile paving makes me wince.
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Norfolktolancashire
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Norfolktolancashire »

Fenlander wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 23:14
Norfolktolancashire wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 22:10
Truvelo wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 16:20 There's such a reluctance for local authority schemes to be NSL these days :@
Is it due to some of the road schemes built by them are of such design that they would not be "safe" for NSL?

These are cheaper to construct and therefore more likely to get the relevant go ahead from the finance side of things.

An example is the A6 just north of Preston, the recently opened Broughton bypass. This D2 has been constructed without any central barrier and is 40mph.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.80737 ... 312!8i6656
The tactile paving makes me wince.
It will be an interesting foot crossing, particularly later at night when the boy racers are out!
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Big L »

I passed this way today and cant believe the progress since last time 6 months ago. The parallel bridge across the Severn has sprung up from nothing and looks almost complete barring the blacktop. Ditto most of the section of the second carriageway west of the bridge; westbound traffic is on the new carriageway for the last few hundred metres towards the A449 junction.
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IAN
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by IAN »

The final section to be dualled has now been opened with just a little work remaining on the junctions.

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/20 ... irst-time/
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by chaseracer »

FINALLY!!
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AAndy
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by AAndy »

Video I took this week. https://youtu.be/K4t-ozX5gNY

Both directions, short version , just of the new section.

The pylon island is interesting on the exit to worcester at the eastern roundabout.
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Owain »

I drove the newly dualled sections all the way from the M5 to the A449 a couple of weeks ago. Oh my goodness - what a difference!

A decade ago I was working in Worcester, and that southern ring was an absolute nightmare during morning and evening rush hours. They've done a really good job there.
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Herned »

Why isn't it the A44 though? Because it wasn't built in one go?
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by Owain »

Herned wrote: Wed Aug 31, 2022 21:32 Why isn't it the A44 though? Because it wasn't built in one go?
You could probably ask the same question of roads like the A500 (why not A34?), the A563 (why not A47?), the A6177 (why not A650?), the A1139 (why not A15 or A16?).

I assume that the answer stems from a desire to create a coherent ring road with its own identity, rather than making them part of a through route.
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IAN
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Re: Worcester Southern Link Road dualling (A4440)

Post by IAN »

Now there's just the small matter of linking here https://www.google.com/maps/@52.1890657 ... 384!8i8192 with here https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2310338 ... 384!8i8192 and we'll have a useful outer ring road for Worcester!
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