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The speed limit on a road with high levels of nitrogen dioxide could be cut in a bid to improve air quality if the plan receives final approval.
The A331 Blackwater Valley Relief Road was identified in 2017 as a road that would continue to exceed EU nitrogen dioxide limits until 2023.
It is hoped that reducing the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph will cut emissions along the stretch of road between the A31 and the M3.
An outline business case has been approved by Guildford, Surrey Heath and Rushmoor councils and a full business case will be submitted to the government by 17 May.
As a regular user of this route, it falls into two categories, depending on the time of day
1. Utter gridlock because of the cluster-**** that is the Frimley Business Park roundabout (at M3 J4), and its traffic lights
2. A near-perfect stretch of NSL dual carriageway
The former is quite clearly the cause of the alleged emissions.
I guess sorting out the junction will cost more money than installing a few 50MPH signs
Truvelo wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 13:31
Seems that a part time speed limit would be the best solution
This would indeed be it, followed by some rapid backside kickings of the idiots who approve business parks next to strategic infrastructure with no regard to the operational impact...
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
How about closing the current entry to the business park and giving it a new one off the A325? Much of its traffic will only want to be heading into Farmborough or Frimley and is forced onto the A331.
jackal wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 07:50
How about closing the current entry to the business park and giving it a new one off the A325? Much of its traffic will only want to be heading into Farmborough or Frimley and is forced onto the A331.
A new entry to the business park from the A325 might be okay, although I'm not sure closing the existing entrance would help much given that it is currently very accessible from the M3. Two separate entrances would prevent the park traffic from both roads accumulating at one junction and instead would be more evenly spread out.
Indeed two entrances would be best for access to the business park. But my thought is that even with reduced traffic the additional roundabout (presumably still signalized) would remain greatly detrimental to the A331, the lifeblood of the area.
Yes... it was the cause of several accidents in its short life, as traffic heading into Frimley High Street didn't give way to the oncoming traffic - despite the give way lines.
jackal wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 07:50
How about closing the current entry to the business park and giving it a new one off the A325? Much of its traffic will only want to be heading into Farmborough or Frimley and is forced onto the A331.
Given the height differential, it would be tricky to do - especially without knocking down a building or two. The river (which barely deserves the name) Blackwater an the Reading/Guildford railway also are obstacles.
Better would be grade-separating - but I suspect that's unlikely
jackal wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 07:50
How about closing the current entry to the business park and giving it a new one off the A325? Much of its traffic will only want to be heading into Farmborough or Frimley and is forced onto the A331.
Given the height differential, it would be tricky to do - especially without knocking down a building or two. The river (which barely deserves the name) Blackwater an the Reading/Guildford railway also are obstacles.
Better would be grade-separating - but I suspect that's unlikely
The height difference isn't that great. The link could do something similar to this path:
Grade separation would be ideal, but given the proximity of the adjacent junctions it would require something much more complex than there is space for.
So looking at the OS map and boundaries it appears to be the length from the Mytchett munction northbound the closest to the properties, basically adding one mile to the existing 50 mph and the area where the most queues occur
However what happens when we are all electric or the cleanest level one emissions vehicles like mine, do they put the limits up again.
An advertisement should be published for a Traffic Regulation Order to extend the current 50mph speed limit on the A331 BVR between the M3
junction 4 and A325 Frimley junctions to 100 metres south of the Coleford Bridge Road junction;
Whilst we [Surrey Police’s Road Safety & Traffic Management Team] have not indicated an official objection at this time, we reserve the right to submit such an objection at the formal consultation stage. At that time you may be in a better position to shown what the full proposals are by the government and yourselves on how it is envisaged that this 50mph limit will be enforced (which does not meet your Speed Limit Policy).
It must be remembered that all of the environmental benefits that are being suggested for this scheme comes not through just lowering the speed limit to 50mph, but ensuring that drivers actually drive at that speed. An unrealistic speed limit that cannot be enforced and that drivers do not conform to will not achieve any environmental improvement and will just lead to a general disregard for all speed limits.”
It should be noted that the existing stretch of 50 is not widely observed.
This speed limit reduction is now in and it extends the 50mph limit 0.9 miles from the A325 junction to directly under the bridge at the Mytchett junction (I sadly measured this, this morning).
Anyway southbound at 7.30am ,as the police stated it would be and why they said they would not enforce it, I had to stay at 70 mph just to keep up with traffic and it was being totally ignored.
Northbound as usual, was a two lane crawl from Mytchett to the A325 as the queue on the A325 exit slip backed back on the main carriageway.
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