A358 Taunton to Southfields

[jackal]

This scheme has now opened for consultation: https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.co ... uthfields/

HE seem to be embarrassed about the junction designs and haven't included them in the brochure, but they're in the Technical Appraisal Report:

It's far worse than the proposal from a decade or so ago. There's no GSJ at Southfields; the widened road will plug into the existing roundabout. Worse, instead of a freeflow junction at the M5, there will be roundabout GSJ, which according to the TAR will also serve as 'a new access junction for development'

[jackal]

As you can see here, the three other options considered in the TAR all had freeflow to/from the M5 Exeter.

Unsurprisingly, they all had higher cost-benefit ratios than the proposed option

[DavidBrown]

Well I've filled in my questionnaire and tore them apart on the junction designs. Quite how they think that the local connections are anything like acceptable I don't know - the main road into Taunton from the south will all of a sudden become a B road that passes several schools and is already congested at the best of times. And any Taunton traffic from the A303 will still have to go through Henlade, making the seperately proposed M5 J25 scheme utterly useless.

And as for Southfields - jeez.

[Fluid Dynamics]

I presume they've left Southfield out, to be sorted when the Ilminster bypass is dualled?

[jackal]

I think so. Highways England are assuming the Ilminster bypass widening will be open around five years after this scheme, so I don't think Southfields is a huge problem. The connection to the M5, and as David says the local access, are the dealbreakers as they will be permanent.

[crowntown100]

Oh dear... Well, all of the options that Jackal has placed are better than the one taken forward. Hopefully this isn't a repeat of Chichester in the making...

Shame, really...

[Berk]

Unfortunately, I think this is a different ball game to Chichester. Lack of support to the proposals won't stop any one of them being built??

Maybe the 'least worst' option, or the one with the 'most votes'. Can't see HE backtracking on this one.

[jackal]

There's only one option in the consultation (the one in the OP), and it stinks. That's the problem.

[M5Lenzar]

I can't see how a roundabout GSJ at the M5 is even being considered as a valid option. A main route like this is screaming out for freeflow - even if it's just a trumpet.

What was being smoked whilst they did a COBA?

[jackal]

The economic appraisal clearly comes out against the consultation option (1.54 BCR) and in favour of the freeflow options (especially option 2A/2B, which has 2.08 BCR). But the last few pages of the Technical Appraisal Report starts waxing lyrical about how plugging housing developments into the new junction will magically make everyone rich no matter what the nasty economics says.

It seems the consultants may have been leaned on to ignore the objective facts and support a development corridor-type scheme no matter what.

[c2R]

In my opinion it's still the wrong route anyway - improvements to the A30 and A303 will continue (e.g. the current scheme for north of Honiton) and this if upgraded to full expressway standard in the long run will provide an eventual alternative route and resilience for the M5....

[RichardA35]

In my opinion it's still the wrong route anyway - improvements to the A30 and A303 will continue (e.g. the current scheme for north of Honiton) and this if upgraded to full expressway standard in the long run will provide an eventual alternative route and resilience for the M5....

I imagine the benefits of upgrading the existing corridor in any form will be very slight once the appraisal removes most of the strategic traffic from the route and the scheme will quietly die a death, especially as there are few housing development opportunities to open up with the area being quite a way from anywhere.....

[JonB2028]

I imagine the benefits of upgrading the existing corridor in any form will be very slight once the appraisal removes most of the strategic traffic from the route and the scheme will quietly die a death, especially as there are few housing development opportunities to open up with the area being quite a way from anywhere.....

Agree, Richard - wishful thinking was my reaction on learning of the DCC scheme.

[roadtester]

The economic appraisal clearly comes out against the consultation option (1.54 BCR) and in favour of the freeflow options (especially option 2A/2B, which has 2.08 BCR). But the last few pages of the Technical Appraisal Report starts waxing lyrical about how plugging housing developments into the new junction will magically make everyone rich no matter what the nasty economics says.

It seems the consultants may have been leaned on to ignore the objective facts and support a development corridor-type scheme no matter what.

Be thankful for small mercies - at least there don't so far appear to be any plans to incorporate an MSA into the roundabout junction with the M5...

[ChrisH]

The economic appraisal clearly comes out against the consultation option (1.54 BCR) and in favour of the freeflow options (especially option 2A/2B, which has 2.08 BCR). But the last few pages of the Technical Appraisal Report starts waxing lyrical about how plugging housing developments into the new junction will magically make everyone rich no matter what the nasty economics says.

It seems the consultants may have been leaned on to ignore the objective facts and support a development corridor-type scheme no matter what.

I was in a meeting with HE only last week where they presented the findings of their Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE). One of the clearest conclusions is that free-flowing links perform much better than signalised ones. So why are they now proposing signalised junctions as part of their newest schemes?

[Sou'wester]

Whilst a freeflow would be ideal, as a local and regular user of this atrocious road, a dual carriageway is what is needed first and foremost.

J25 is currently over-loaded, so this option will reduce the pain currently happening there, whilst J26 is too far south for access to Taunton, really. I can see why a J25a is in the pipeline as there are extensive plans for a large expansion of Taunton in the Comeytrowe/Trull area, so this would probably mean a new southern bypass for Taunton is in the offing, which would be a positive outcome of this decision.

[PeterA5145]

I was in a meeting with HE only last week where they presented the findings of their Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE). One of the clearest conclusions is that free-flowing links perform much better than signalised ones.

It needs a study to tell them that?

An evaluation of the lavatorial habits of bears comes to mind...

[ChrisH]

I was in a meeting with HE only last week where they presented the findings of their Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE). One of the clearest conclusions is that free-flowing links perform much better than signalised ones.

It needs a study to tell them that?

An evaluation of the lavatorial habits of bears comes to mind...

The religious affiliation of the POPE also comes to mind

To give them a bit of credit, I think the finding is that even on a BCR front, grade-separating a junction is worthwhile despite costing a lot more than at-grade options - and potentially increasing environmental impacts etc. Clearly the benefit to drivers is an aspect of that.

[roadtester]

I must admit I thought it was silly when I first read it too, but presumably it's not just a question of deciding that a free-flow junction is better, but also trying to quantify how much better in order to make a better decision.

[c2R]

It's a bit disappointing that on this one there are no questions about the usefulness of the consultation materials, as the summary document itself fails to be clear on the scheme objectives, and doe not go into detail about the junctions or the sort of road proposed, while clearly the technical document discusses this in greater detail, along with the rejected options. The reasons for rejection of 2A/2B aren't overly satisfactory. The questions about use of the stretch are a bit confusing as well - I have very little experience of using the route, but that is clearly because I either use the M4/M5 or A30/A303 - in the current nine miles extra to drive up to Taunton to join the M5 I would be almost third of the way in covering the 30 miles from Southfields to M5 - with the very empty Honiton to Exeter stretch in my sights, but the question doesn't ask how often I use the A303/A30. One of the responses also had "other (please specify)" but didn't leave anywhere to specify.