A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

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Hdeng16
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Hdeng16 »

The worst aspect of the 50mph is that I'm almost certain this will be an extension of the Toll Bar 50mph, meaning the 2 new GSJs, while welcome, will all be 50mph.

I just can't see they will have 50-70-50 within such a distance. I think the entire stretch from M69 to Stiv will end up at 50mph eventually.
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jackal
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by jackal »

Binley is designed for 50mph.

It would be only about a km from the Walsgrave GSJ to the M6 junction. So yes, there's bound to be 50mph throughout.

That said it pales into insignificance given the mess they've made at Stonebridge Highway and Stivichall.
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Bryn666
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Bryn666 »

jackal wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 23:22 I always expected it to be a dumbbell but I'm a bit disappointed about the 50mph limit. It's not exactly Air Balloon terrain. They claim the realignment for 70mph creates flooding risks but they only seem to have looked at one line. Still not a bad scheme.
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A303Chris
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by A303Chris »

Bryn666 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 11:31
jackal wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 23:22 I always expected it to be a dumbbell but I'm a bit disappointed about the 50mph limit. It's not exactly Air Balloon terrain. They claim the realignment for 70mph creates flooding risks but they only seem to have looked at one line. Still not a bad scheme.
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danfw194
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by danfw194 »

50mph will feel dreadfully slow, it already does at Toll Bar. Last few times I've been through Toll Bar (non-peak times), I've been the slowest thing on the road at 50mph on the dot, with HGV's overtaking me.
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Alderpoint
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Alderpoint »

danfw194 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:12 50mph will feel dreadfully slow, it already does at Toll Bar. Last few times I've been through Toll Bar (non-peak times), I've been the slowest thing on the road at 50mph on the dot, with HGV's overtaking me.
Sorry that may have been me. As I said above
not that anyone obeys the existing 50 limits thereabouts
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Alderpoint
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Alderpoint »

I do wonder how much consultation has taken place with the hospital. With the dumbell being a long way north of the existing roundabout, any ambulance coming from Toll Bar is going to have to go all the way up to the new dumbell and then back down again - how long is this going to take?

Would an emergency-traffic only slip (A46 N to B4082 W) be possible near the old roundabout to elminate this? Or even a direct road from the dumbell into the hospital.
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M4 Cardiff
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by M4 Cardiff »

Yes, the lack of an off-slip at the location of the current junction does seem strange, unless of course there is a proposal for housing or a distribution hub to be accessed off the new junction later on.

As to the whole section potentially becoming a 50 limit, it is strange and slightly encouraging that the section through Tollbar and to Stivichall is not enforced, so hopefully West Midlands Police have simply got no interest in enforcing the limit for whatever reason, so it may end up as a section of unenforced 50 that will be largely ignored. I know that the old Gatsos along that bit were notoriously combustible, this may have something to do with it.
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danfw194
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

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M4 Cardiff wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 13:28 As to the whole section potentially becoming a 50 limit, it is strange and slightly encouraging that the section through Tollbar and to Stivichall is not enforced, so hopefully West Midlands Police have simply got no interest in enforcing the limit for whatever reason, so it may end up as a section of unenforced 50 that will be largely ignored. I know that the old Gatsos along that bit were notoriously combustible, this may have something to do with it.
There are SPECS cameras along the Binley section already, wouldn't be surprised if they popped up along the entire route.
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Truvelo »

I've only just seen the latest proposals so excuse the late reply. The idea of a new junction to the north of the existing roundabout never occurred to me. However, I have reservations regarding the curvature and speed limit. A route to the west of Hungerley Hall Farm was discounted for several reasons, one of them being noise. Surely there's going to be noise whichever side of the farm it passes and anyway, a deep enough cutting with screening will drown out much of it. Having the A46 pass to the west of the farm and breaking up the existing road will reunite the farm with its fields and avoid the need for an accommodation bridge.
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jackal
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by jackal »

M4 Cardiff wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 13:28 Yes, the lack of an off-slip at the location of the current junction does seem strange, unless of course there is a proposal for housing or a distribution hub to be accessed off the new junction later on.
Very strange, especially as some of the other options have a slip there. Even if they were to use the eastern side of the junction eventually, that wouldn't be affected by the location of the northbound offslip if it met the B road at a full access junction (priority or rbt).

The design is reminiscent of the A30 Chiverton Cross, which forces similar U-turns.
mattling
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by mattling »

Does the lack of an n/b exit slip to the existing road suggest that a link road from the new junction to the hospital is on the cards? It's only about 500m from the proposed junction to the service road at the rear of the hospital.
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Alderpoint
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Alderpoint »

mattling wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 17:38 Does the lack of an n/b exit slip to the existing road suggest that a link road from the new junction to the hospital is on the cards? It's only about 500m from the proposed junction to the service road at the rear of the hospital.
It has been discussed. Mostly recently (that I'm aware of) for access to a new staff carpark. The main problem is that all the access to the hospital for normal and emergency admission is the other side of the building and reconfiguring that would be just a tad expensive.
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danfw194
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by danfw194 »

Could also be an opportunity to put in a Park and Ride location either side of the dumbbell. I don't have enough knowledge of Coventry to know if the demand is there, but location wise it's pretty good at least.
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by mattling »

Hdeng16 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:25 The worst aspect of the 50mph is that I'm almost certain this will be an extension of the Toll Bar 50mph, meaning the 2 new GSJs, while welcome, will all be 50mph.

I just can't see they will have 50-70-50 within such a distance. I think the entire stretch from M69 to Stiv will end up at 50mph eventually.
There is a very short 50-70-40 on the A444 under the Styvechale Interchange (Festival Island).
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A303Chris
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by A303Chris »

Nice time lapse video has been released by National Highways showing the beam lift at Binley.

Video is here

Press Release here
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SteveA30
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by SteveA30 »

Went this way on Sunday March 20. Bridge mostly in place. What do you reckon, late summer opening?

This and the other proposed GSJ makes the new arrangement at Stivichall rather puzzling. There was a 1 lane freeflow onslip s/bnd. Now it is a 2 lane onslip signalled at the rbt. Why can't the outside lane be signalled but the inside remain freeflow? Traffic from Coventry uses the outside lane to join A46 and through traffic is unaffected in the inside lane as before. Luckily, I had a green anyway. Lots of other work towards Kenilworth but, wasn't sure what it was for as I don't recall any faults with that stretch. Making it D3 all the way to the M40?
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Alderpoint
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Alderpoint »

SteveA30 wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 23:36 Went this way on Sunday March 20. Bridge mostly in place. What do you reckon, late summer opening?
Supposedly still on track for "Spring 2022". There is not much left to be done.
This and the other proposed GSJ makes the new arrangement at Stivichall rather puzzling. There was a 1 lane freeflow onslip s/bnd. Now it is a 2 lane onslip signalled at the rbt. Why can't the outside lane be signalled but the inside remain freeflow? Traffic from Coventry uses the outside lane to join A46 and through traffic is unaffected in the inside lane as before.
Alledgely too many drivers were cutting out of or in to the old freeflow lane so they got rid of it and put traffic lights across all three lanes. I still use the right lane on the slip off to go left onto the A46.
Lots of other work towards Kenilworth but, wasn't sure what it was for as I don't recall any faults with that stretch. Making it D3 all the way to the M40?

First part is putting in a roundabout at the Stoneleigh interchange (currently 50mph limit enforced by SPECS), then the HS2 crossing (no reduced limit), and then around Warwick, contraflow for southbound carriageway reconstruction (40pmh limit).

There has been lots of whinging locally about all the roadworks as they are digging the centre of Leamington too.
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Bryn666
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by Bryn666 »

There was a sinkhole in Leamington last week which didn't help matters, the A46 was a complete bin fire due to the contraflow but the work was needed.
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Re: A46 Coventry Junctions upgrade

Post by M4 Cardiff »

Fortunately the rail bridge refurb by Vitsoe's (A452 Princes Drive) has finished, so bottom of town has got a bit better, but now there's going to be closures on B4087 Tachbrook Road for electrical works, and possible more works by Vitsoe, again Western Power Distribution. I guess they have to do it all now so there's nothing to get in the way of the Commonwealth Games.

The 'sinkhole' was a broken drain that caused wash-out and collapse of the overlying ground, and repaired pretty quickly. It collapsed on a Thursday morning, and was infilled and the road re-opened by the end of the Sunday.
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