Midlands Connect road strategy

[jackal]

Hmmm, none of that seems particularly ambitious, apart from the A46 Expressway. Stereotypical sticking-plaster solutions in an age of austerity.

I don't think they should include the A5 on their motorway hub map if none of the 10 proposals address it.

Maybe you missed the bit about the Western Orbital

[danfw194]

Hmmm, none of that seems particularly ambitious, apart from the A46 Expressway. Stereotypical sticking-plaster solutions in an age of austerity.

I don't think they should include the A5 on their motorway hub map if none of the 10 proposals address it.

Maybe you missed the bit about the Western Orbital

But look at the language, 'examining the economic case'......in comparison to 'creating the A46 expressway'. This Western Orbital was first proposed in the 20s, the economic case has been examined for the best part of a century. It won't happen in our lifetime.

[Norfolktolancashire]

- Estimated time savings signage on the M6 to encourage better use of the M6 Toll during incidents and peak times.

"15 minutes quicker or your money back"?

Or a free coffee at Norton Canes Services?

If there was "subsidised" refreshments including food at these services it would attract more to use the M6 Toll, particularly when you see the (un)quality of the services around there.

[nickoli]

Or a free coffee at Norton Canes Services?

If there was "subsidised" refreshments including food at these services it would attract more to use the M6 Toll, particularly when you see the (un)quality of the services around there.

I've never used Norton Canes (as far as I can remember; stopping at a services on a road when I'm paying to make the journey quicker seems counter-productive) but didn't it come out top in a customer satisfaction survey for all motorway services earlier this year?

[roadtester]

Or a free coffee at Norton Canes Services?

If there was "subsidised" refreshments including food at these services it would attract more to use the M6 Toll, particularly when you see the (un)quality of the services around there.

I've never used Norton Canes (as far as I can remember; stopping at a services on a road when I'm paying to make the journey quicker seems counter-productive) but didn't it come out top in a customer satisfaction survey for all motorway services earlier this year?

Others may have more experience of this but I've found that

a) Norton Canes is very pleasant at less busy times but

b) it is sometimes surprisingly crowded given that the M6 Toll has a reputation for being under-used.

I've occasionally used the M6 Toll precisely because I prefer to use Norton Canes rather than the alternatives.

[mikehindsonevans]

Or a free coffee at Norton Canes Services?

If there was "subsidised" refreshments including food at these services it would attract more to use the M6 Toll, particularly when you see the (un)quality of the services around there.

I've never used Norton Canes (as far as I can remember; stopping at a services on a road when I'm paying to make the journey quicker seems counter-productive) but didn't it come out top in a customer satisfaction survey for all motorway services earlier this year?

Others may have more experience of this but I've found that

a) Norton Canes is very pleasant at less busy times but

b) it is sometimes surprisingly crowded given that the M6 Toll has a reputation for being under-used.

I've occasionally used the M6 Toll precisely because I prefer to use Norton Canes rather than the alternatives.

"I endorse the comments of the previous speaker".
My wife and I have (consistently since the M6 Toll opened back in 2003) found that Norton Canes is the best service area south of the Lake District. It is also, definitely, getting busier - evidenced by at least two bursts of rebuilding over the past 15 years.
Mike

[havaska_uk]

I've never used Norton Canes (as far as I can remember; stopping at a services on a road when I'm paying to make the journey quicker seems counter-productive) but didn't it come out top in a customer satisfaction survey for all motorway services earlier this year?

Others may have more experience of this but I've found that

a) Norton Canes is very pleasant at less busy times but

b) it is sometimes surprisingly crowded given that the M6 Toll has a reputation for being under-used.

I've occasionally used the M6 Toll precisely because I prefer to use Norton Canes rather than the alternatives.

"I endorse the comments of the previous speaker".
My wife and I have (consistently since the M6 Toll opened back in 2003) found that Norton Canes is the best service area south of the Lake District. It is also, definitely, getting busier - evidenced by at least two bursts of rebuilding over the past 15 years.
Mike

It's also, in my experience, horrendously expensive even my MSA standards.

[Big L]

Or a free coffee at Norton Canes Services?

If there was "subsidised" refreshments including food at these services it would attract more to use the M6 Toll, particularly when you see the (un)quality of the services around there.

I've never used Norton Canes (as far as I can remember; stopping at a services on a road when I'm paying to make the journey quicker seems counter-productive) but didn't it come out top in a customer satisfaction survey for all motorway services earlier this year?

If you're going to stop somewhere it may as well be somewhere nice. Time-wise there is no benefit to stopping at Corley or Stafford instead of Norton Canes.

[jackal]

Midlands Connect have published their list of priorities for 2020-25:

https://www.midlandsconnect.uk/media/15 ... 032019.pdf

[85CF380]

Midlands Connect have published their list of priorities for 2020-25:

It's a list of HE projects in their area from RIS1 & RIS2, including 4 projects which they expected to proceed but have stalled & a little note that they have no 'mega' projects such as Lower Thames Xing or Oxford -Camb Expressway. (They are not the only ones).

[ChrisH]

Midlands Connect have published their list of priorities for 2020-25:

It's a list of HE projects in their area from RIS1 & RIS2, including 4 projects which they expected to proceed but have stalled & a little note that they have no 'mega' projects such as Lower Thames Xing or Oxford -Camb Expressway. (They are not the only ones).

It also notes that those dotted green lines may turn into more concrete proposals before the year is out. An A46 Expressway or a Western Orbital would certainly be a mega project, able to hold its own against anything elsewhere in the country.

[krob2]

A50 roundabouts have got to be a priority.
Sudbury is getting worse and worse every month and Uttoxeter is still a disaster. Problem is they keep increasing the HGV traffic by allowing so many distribution parks in the Stoke Derby M1 corridor.

[darkcape]

Local disagreements already starting to rumble about Leicester Eastern Bypass proposals at town meeting

[danfw194]

Local disagreements already starting to rumble about Leicester Eastern Bypass proposals at town meeting

I'm torn over this project. I live about 1 mile away from the Hobby Horse Roundabout (which already struggles at peak times). On the one hand, this project would relieve a fair bit of pressure on the A46 Leicester Western Bypass which struggles at peak times, the M1 between J21 and J21a, the Leicester Ring Road A563 on the eastern side of the city.
However, as a keen cyclist in this part of the world, I don't like the idea of a massive road project cutting a swathe through some beautiful, quiet countryside.

And as I've mentioned a number of times before, there is no way this road can successfully link to the Hobby Horse Roundabout - that would be a complete traffic disaster, and I don't think it's physically possible anyway without knocking down a significant number of houses and businesses in Thurmaston and Syston. Logically, the new road should sweep past the eastern edge of Queniborough and link to the A46 near Ratcliffe on Wreake. But there you have the problem that the current A46 is of sub-standard quality.

[darkcape]

Local disagreements already starting to rumble about Leicester Eastern Bypass proposals at town meeting

I'm torn over this project. I live about 1 mile away from the Hobby Horse Roundabout (which already struggles at peak times). On the one hand, this project would relieve a fair bit of pressure on the A46 Leicester Western Bypass which struggles at peak times, the M1 between J21 and J21a, the Leicester Ring Road A563 on the eastern side of the city.
However, as a keen cyclist in this part of the world, I don't like the idea of a massive road project cutting a swathe through some beautiful, quiet countryside.

And as I've mentioned a number of times before, there is no way this road can successfully link to the Hobby Horse Roundabout - that would be a complete traffic disaster, and I don't think it's physically possible anyway without knocking down a significant number of houses and businesses in Thurmaston and Syston. Logically, the new road should sweep past the eastern edge of Queniborough and link to the A46 near Ratcliffe on Wreake. But there you have the problem that the current A46 is of sub-standard quality.

I live very close to the Foxhunter in Enderby and would be a massive advocate of a M1 J20a, the southern villages of Enderby Whetstone Narborough and Broughton Astley have grown/are growing so much the B4114 and A426 is solid in the evening rush hour with traffic heading countybound.

Similarly the north side of Leicester with new housing at Anstey, Birstall, Rothley means there's an awful lot of commuter traffic mixing with long distance traffic in the A46.

The only way the eastern bypass would work is by being GSJ NSL and D2 the entire way. Leics CC previous track record with bypasses is mixed, I wouldn't trust them not to dilute it for development. If Midlands Connect and the HE keep an eye on the scheme maybe it can be built right.

The other fear is NIMBYism would dilute the scheme too. The same areas put a can on the proposed Oadby eco-town a decade ago and not much else has happened since.

[Norfolktolancashire]

Midlands Connect have published their list of priorities for 2020-25:

It's a list of HE projects in their area from RIS1 & RIS2, including 4 projects which they expected to proceed but have stalled & a little note that they have no 'mega' projects such as Lower Thames Xing or Oxford -Camb Expressway. (They are not the only ones).

It also notes that those dotted green lines may turn into more concrete proposals before the year is out. An A46 Expressway or a Western Orbital would certainly be a mega project, able to hold its own against anything elsewhere in the country.

The green route A5 upgrade could be ignored if the money was put in to pay off the M6 Toll concession?

The A46 upgrade from the M5 to M6 would be one of those infrastructure upgrades that would be of great use for longer distance traffic, particularly avoiding the West Midlands conurbation.

[jackal]

It's a list of HE projects in their area from RIS1 & RIS2, including 4 projects which they expected to proceed but have stalled & a little note that they have no 'mega' projects such as Lower Thames Xing or Oxford -Camb Expressway. (They are not the only ones).

It also notes that those dotted green lines may turn into more concrete proposals before the year is out. An A46 Expressway or a Western Orbital would certainly be a mega project, able to hold its own against anything elsewhere in the country.

The green route A5 upgrade could be ignored if the money was put in to pay off the M6 Toll concession?

The A5 improvement (specifically M6-A38) could be a stalking horse for buying out the M6(T). Certainly it would be pretty strange to build an expressway through an essentially urban area when there's a half empty motorway on the same corridor. In places it's barely even possible as the M6(T) has taken the only available route.

[danfw194]

I live very close to the Foxhunter in Enderby and would be a massive advocate of a M1 J20a, the southern villages of Enderby Whetstone Narborough and Broughton Astley have grown/are growing so much the B4114 and A426 is solid in the evening rush hour with traffic heading countybound.

Similarly the north side of Leicester with new housing at Anstey, Birstall, Rothley means there's an awful lot of commuter traffic mixing with long distance traffic in the A46.

The only way the eastern bypass would work is by being GSJ NSL and D2 the entire way. Leics CC previous track record with bypasses is mixed, I wouldn't trust them not to dilute it for development. If Midlands Connect and the HE keep an eye on the scheme maybe it can be built right.

The other fear is NIMBYism would dilute the scheme too. The same areas put a can on the proposed Oadby eco-town a decade ago and not much else has happened since.

Yes I think the South of Leicester is definitely worse for traffic than the north, you have my sympathies in that regard! I detest J21 and the Grove Farm Triangle.

The A46 between J21A and Syston should be increased to D3 in my opinion. There's enough room for it, and it would immediately solve a lot of the capacity issues, providing the Hobby Island was ripped up and made into a GSJ, with A46>A46 given priority.

Completely agree that any eastern bypass would have to be GSJ NSL and D2 the entire way, to the same standard as the new stretch of A46 between Widmerpool and Newark (which is lovely to drive on). If done properly like this, with freeflow junctions at either end, it would reduce my own NIMBYism towards it.

[ABB125]

Midlands Connect have published a Strategic Transport Manifesto, available here:
https://www.midlandsconnect.uk/publicat ... -midlands/

The road section contains three key corridors (in this order):

• A46 (needs £2.3 million, of which £700,000 is already available)
• A50/A500 (needs £1.5 million)
• A5 (needs £1.5 million)

I'm pleased that the A46 is on the list, because it had appeared to have moved down the priorities list in previous publications. Still no sign of the A46 Stage 2 Corridor Study though (due in the Autumn according to an email I received in June).

[jackal]

I assume that's to "develop productivity plans for these corridors". To actually build stuff find and replace "million" for "billion".

I also did a bit of sick in my mouth for "holistic placemaking".