A12 Chelmsford to A120 Widening Scheme

[Jon Waters]

The application was accepted for examination yesterday

[jackal]

To see the general arrangement plans filter "general" here: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... ction=docs

[jackal]

Look at this nonsense at Rivenhall, including a roundabout for little more than an attenuation pond: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... RT%204.pdf

[ABB125]

Look at this nonsense at Rivenhall, including a roundabout for little more than an attenuation pond: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... RT%204.pdf

There are a number of "emergency areas" on those plans - is this going to be another A14-esque "smart motorway in all but sign colour"?

[Bryn666]

Look at this nonsense at Rivenhall, including a roundabout for little more than an attenuation pond: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... RT%204.pdf

DMRB strikes again, it argues for roundabouts to terminate D2s on instead of having a taper to single carriageway.

Why does the old A12 there need to be retained as D2 at all? Where is the active travel improvement, or anything to limit induced traffic demand along the bypassed route?

[JonB2028]

There are a number of "emergency areas" on those plans - is this going to be another A14-esque "smart motorway in all but sign colour"?

Yes. From the new J21 to J25 will have similar restrictions as A14.

[jackal]

Look at this nonsense at Rivenhall, including a roundabout for little more than an attenuation pond: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... RT%204.pdf

DMRB strikes again, it argues for roundabouts to terminate D2s on instead of having a taper to single carriageway.

Which section of DMRB is that? And do they really mean to have a pointless roundabout like this, rather than just having the S2/D2 transition at a roundabout iff there happens to be a suitable junction nearby?

There's an even worse one on the A9 Tay Crossing scheme where they haven't even got the figleaf of a pond access road:



It's so weird and confusing I doubt it's actually safer.

[Bryn666]

Look at this nonsense at Rivenhall, including a roundabout for little more than an attenuation pond: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... RT%204.pdf

DMRB strikes again, it argues for roundabouts to terminate D2s on instead of having a taper to single carriageway.

Which section of DMRB is that? And do they really mean to have a pointless roundabout like this, rather than just having the S2/D2 transition at a roundabout iff there happens to be a suitable junction nearby?

There's an even worse one on the A9 Tay Crossing scheme where they haven't even got the figleaf of a pond access road:



It's so weird and confusing I doubt it's actually safer.

CD 116:

NOTE 1 In addition to operating as a junction, a roundabout can also:
1) facilitate changes in road standard (for example, between dual and single carriageways or grade separated and at-grade junction roads);
2) emphasise the transition between rural and urban environments;
3) allow U-turns;
4) facilitate heavy right turn flows;
5) mitigate against the inconvenience of nearby banned right turns;
6) bring a route through a sharp or sudden change of direction.

[jackal]

DMRB strikes again, it argues for roundabouts to terminate D2s on instead of having a taper to single carriageway.

Which section of DMRB is that? And do they really mean to have a pointless roundabout like this, rather than just having the S2/D2 transition at a roundabout iff there happens to be a suitable junction nearby?

There's an even worse one on the A9 Tay Crossing scheme where they haven't even got the figleaf of a pond access road:



It's so weird and confusing I doubt it's actually safer.

CD 116:

NOTE 1 In addition to operating as a junction, a roundabout can also:
1) facilitate changes in road standard (for example, between dual and single carriageways or grade separated and at-grade junction roads);
2) emphasise the transition between rural and urban environments;
3) allow U-turns;
4) facilitate heavy right turn flows;
5) mitigate against the inconvenience of nearby banned right turns;
6) bring a route through a sharp or sudden change of direction.

Thanks, that's really helpful. I'm going to make a separate thread about it.

SMT edit : quoting fixed.

[jackal]

A new consultation on a few small changes: https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.co ... ion-apr23/

The highways changes are (1) the SLT from Beaulieu Park now has its own sliproad onto the northbound A12 (plan) rather than merging into the existing sliproad; (2) the B1023 roundabout near J24 has lost a proposed SLT; and (3) the western roundabout at J25 is to be signalised (plan) rather than replaced with a signalised crossroads.

(1) is moderately interesting as it suggests a realisation that you don't need to pile all traffic into one sliproad, as is the current craze.

The DCO application remains under examination: https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... ng-scheme/

[Chris56000]

Has anyone counted how much paperwork National Highways have churned out for this scheme?!

I stopped counting when I got to 4,345 pages, and that's only a tiny fraction of the documents actually listed there!

One report of tables alone has got 1,762 pages of tables in it!!

(Anybody want to try printing them all out to see how high the stack gets?!)

I reckon there's enough to stretch up to the Moon and back!

(I don't think even the Lower Thames Crossing or the A303 Stonehenge schemes have got anything like the amount I've seen for this one scheme alone, even all added together!)

Chris Williams

[Chris5156]

(I don't think even the Lower Thames Crossing or the A303 Stonehenge schemes have got anything like the amount I've seen for this one scheme alone, even all added together!)

I wouldn’t be so sure!

[Runwell]

I note work starts in September on what I can only assume is the new A12 j21 junction that will provide a direct link from Witham to Hatfield Peverel.

Looks like the damaged bridge at J21 on to the southbound A12, will keep its temporary lights that it's had since 2016, for the rest of its life, with the bridge due to be demolished for the widening scheme.

[jackal]

I note work starts in September on what I can only assume is the new A12 j21 junction that will provide a direct link from Witham to Hatfield Peverel.

No, the recommendation on the DCO application will not be delivered until October, the SoS will then make a decision next year.

They're currently replacing the concrete surface. https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-road ... ng-scheme/

[Runwell]

Sorry, just seen another link on One Network showing these are 278 works, presumably connected to the mass housebuilding in recent years just off the A12. Presume this roundabout will be for another stage of the new development.

[Jon Waters]

DCO granted today

[roadtester]

There was quite a long report on this on BBC Look East this evening, about ten minutes in, but it’s not up yet on iPlayer.

[roadtester]

There was quite a long report on this on BBC Look East this evening, about ten minutes in, but it’s not up yet on iPlayer.

Here it is, at 6:15.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... s-12012024

Be quick, though - these only stay up 24 hours!

[qwertyK]

Is there a good map of the new road? In comparison to the existing route, and the proposed northeast bypass of chelmsford, I'm struggling to get my head around the sheer number of roads being built in that area, I don't associate place names with the actual route.

[jackal]

Is there a good map of the new road?

https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... rt%201.pdf