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Bryn666 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2024 15:29
Is Mark Harper actually capable of holding a pen and signing his name or is this doomed to fall before the sword of the election?
If they had any political sense (if...), .they would be approving all these schemes ASAP as 1, they can use them in campaigning, and 2, they will be out of office so don't need to find the money anyway.
And this is such a no-brainer scheme that any future government should support it
SteveA30 wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 10:53
Good news. The penultimate improvement for the A34 M3-M40. Whitway, Newbury, M4 Chieveley, M3. That just leaves M40 J9 to sort out......
Half of which could be resolved for £100 of paint by reinstating the segregated left turn lane A34N to M40N.
SteveA30 wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 10:53
Good news. The penultimate improvement for the A34 M3-M40. Whitway, Newbury, M4 Chieveley, M3. That just leaves M40 J9 to sort out......
Half of which could be resolved for £100 of paint by reinstating the segregated left turn lane A34N to M40N.
Yes!
Make poetry history.
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The plans have been basically the same for a couple of years, I think. Earlier versions were more basic, with weaving on the A34 and the offside exit retained.
It's near perfect now but unfortunately very unlikely to start before the general election.
jackal wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:54
It's near perfect now but unfortunately very unlikely to start before the general election.
Lets hope the change of government won't have any negative effects. Is it still the case that only if there are shovels in the ground before the election that a scheme is safe from scrapping?
How would you like your grade separations, Sir? Big and complex.
jackal wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:54
It's near perfect now but unfortunately very unlikely to start before the general election.
Lets hope the change of government won't have any negative effects. Is it still the case that only if there are shovels in the ground before the election that a scheme is safe from scrapping?
My understanding is that in theory a scheme can be cancelled at any time, but cancellation clauses usually contain penalties which start getting big once “spades are in the ground”. Also, once work is seen to have started, political fallout becomes very big should things be cancelled.
RichardA35 wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:31Looking at the DCO documents there was no update to the general arrangement plans during the examination process.
jackal wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:54The plans have been basically the same for a couple of years, I think. Earlier versions were more basic, with weaving on the A34 and the offside exit retained.
The plans still seem to show D4 ALR on the M3 to the south - I'm a bit surprised that hasn't been amended. Changes will surely be required to allow for the fact the Smart Motorway project was canned and it all has to merge back down to D3M now.
RichardA35 wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:31Looking at the DCO documents there was no update to the general arrangement plans during the examination process.
jackal wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 18:54The plans have been basically the same for a couple of years, I think. Earlier versions were more basic, with weaving on the A34 and the offside exit retained.
The plans still seem to show D4 ALR on the M3 to the south - I'm a bit surprised that hasn't been amended. Changes will surely be required to allow for the fact the Smart Motorway project was canned and it all has to merge back down to D3M now.
Southbound clearly narrows to three lane. Northbound is slightly more confusing as it starts at the existing four lane flare for the diverge, but south of there remains three lane. So it's designed for D3M, not ALR. See general arrangement I posted above.
I'm a regular user of this junction - they missed the opportunity to straighten out the kink on the southbound A34 that brings the speed down to 50. That would have made it perfect!
Chris5156 wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 23:25The plans still seem to show D4 ALR on the M3 to the south - I'm a bit surprised that hasn't been amended. Changes will surely be required to allow for the fact the Smart Motorway project was canned and it all has to merge back down to D3M now.
Southbound clearly narrows to three lane. Northbound is slightly more confusing as it starts at the existing four lane flare for the diverge, but south of there remains three lane. So it's designed for D3M, not ALR. See general arrangement I posted above.
Oh, that was dumb. My late night brain interpreted it as two lines of regular markings plus one line of short dashes. It's two lines of regular markings plus a hard shoulder line. Thanks
Gaz909909 wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 04:23
I'm a regular user of this junction - they missed the opportunity to straighten out the kink on the southbound A34 that brings the speed down to 50. That would have made it perfect!
I don’t believe it’s 50 for that - it’s queuing traffic and busy merge for a33 slip south, and crazy weaving between the m3 and a33 northbound.
Also with schemes like this the a34 would have likely added a 50mph limit even if it was NSL previously. Everything is designed to 50 now it seems. Not a big problem here. Get it built.
Gaz909909 wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2024 04:23
I'm a regular user of this junction - they missed the opportunity to straighten out the kink on the southbound A34 that brings the speed down to 50. That would have made it perfect!
I don’t believe it’s 50 for that - it’s queuing traffic and busy merge for a33 slip south, and crazy weaving between the m3 and a33 northbound.
Also with schemes like this the a34 would have likely added a 50mph limit even if it was NSL previously. Everything is designed to 50 now it seems. Not a big problem here. Get it built.
DMRB gold plating - the horizontal alignment requirements for 70 mph are now so overblown it's rarely affordable or possible to provide in an existing site upgrade to 120A spec.
Bryn Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already. She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
By the way, HCC is developing a scheme at the Cart and Horses junction (just up the A33 from J9, junction with B3047) which best works when J9 is rebuilt and the A33 gets downgraded through losing its direct link with the A34 / M3. https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/tran ... provements
