A358 Taunton to Southfields

[Richardf]

Don't know if anyone has seen this.

http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/some ... tion-34622

What do we think?

[boliston]

There seems to be a lot of talk in the local press about the a358 scheme and most comments seem to be against it.
People say that it will cause traffic to "bypass taunton" but then these same people moan about there being too much traffic in taunton.
Some people just like to moan about anything and everything

[Truvelo]

I still believe upgrading the A303 route through the Blackdowns is still the best. Devon CC is planning a single carriageway upgrade so why not dual it and send traffic the direct way.

[boliston]

I still believe upgrading the A303 route through the Blackdowns is still the best. Devon CC is planning a single carriageway upgrade so why not dual it and send traffic the direct way.

I don't think the ilminster to honiton (a303/a30) road across the blackdown hills would have enough traffic to warrant a d/c and it's through rolling coutryside so the costs would be astronomic.

The ilminster (a303) to taunton (m5) a358 road is already a busy transport corridor and often comes to a standstill at busy periods so makes more sense to spend money on that route.

[jackal]

So what exactly is wrong with the chosen scheme? Not sure about where and how it meets the M5, but otherwise it looks OK to me.

Alright it's been watered down from the scheme that was scrapped a few years ago, but let's face it that was a touch 'gold plated' and over designed for what is needed.

So why the big detour to reach the M5? Won't favour N-S traffic at all.

You've rather answered your own question there But aside from the circuituous route, the M5 junction is a two-bridge roundabout designed to be clogged up with development traffic.

There's no reason not to build a freeflowing option - HE shortlisted three freeflowing options, all with higher BCRs than the proposed option, and for as little as £13m more. See the HE plans I posted on page 1.

[SteveA30]

If it's physically possible, I will use the old road, especially southbound. It is already camera 30 with lights at the rbt and the Park 'n' Ride so, it would have to be made far worse to be unusable.

[A320Driver]

I still believe upgrading the A303 route through the Blackdowns is still the best. Devon CC is planning a single carriageway upgrade so why not dual it and send traffic the direct way.

I don't think the ilminster to honiton (a303/a30) road across the blackdown hills would have enough traffic to warrant a d/c and it's through rolling coutryside so the costs would be astronomic.

The ilminster (a303) to taunton (m5) a358 road is already a busy transport corridor and often comes to a standstill at busy periods so makes more sense to spend money on that route.

Just a huge shame that orders were made 6 months too late in Jan 1997 before the contract went out to tender....scrapped by New Labour later that summer.

Would've been open for 15 years now.

[Hdeng16]

It's a worry HE seem to be doing the same here as Chichester - trying to force a route through effectively without a proper consultations. I wonder if they will throw their toys out of the pram again here eventually?

[Richardf]

It's a worry HE seem to be doing the same here as Chichester - trying to force a route through effectively without a proper consultations. I wonder if they will throw their toys out of the pram again here eventually?

Beginning to wonder the same. Push an unpopular route then use that unpopularity to cancel it (again)!

Hope we are wrong.

[jackal]

I don't think it's quite the same situation, as the adjustments people are requesting are far smaller and easier to accommodate within broadly the same scheme and budget.

[Richardf]

So why the change in route near the M5 from the earlier plans do you think? What was wrong with the road meeting the M5 closer to J25 and sticking closer to the current road?

I can see N-S traffic still using the old road through Henlade unless that village is properly bypassed, as it will still be the shorter route going in that direction.

Clearly the new route has been designed to favour E-W traffic and along with the M5 act as a bypass for the Blackdown Hills A303/A30.

[jackal]

Because decision makers have decided they want 'a new access junction for development', rather than a freeflowing strategic connection.

[Berk]

Because decision makers have decided they want 'a new access junction for development', rather than a freeflowing strategic connection.

Yes, but was that purely the only way to get a new motorway junction built?? Don't get me wrong, I think the new variant route, and junction are the way to go - but the benefits will be massively reduced if it's an at-grade affair.

And realistically speaking, whilst a Blackdowns Bypass would be good to have, it will be achieved much quicker by adapting the motorway, and rerouting the A358.

[jackal]

Three of the four shortlisted junctions had freeflowing interchanges, and they are all well within the scheme budget with higher BCRs than the consultation option. So no, a development-focused junction is not the only way to get the scheme built.

[sotonsteve]

It's a worry HE seem to be doing the same here as Chichester - trying to force a route through effectively without a proper consultations. I wonder if they will throw their toys out of the pram again here eventually?

Well, this is the direction things are heading with Stonehenge, where the "bypass the whole world heritage site" option was ruled out before consultation even though the consultation document suggested it may be £400m cheaper to build than a tunnel (£1-1.4bn rather than £1.4-1.8bn).

[jackal]

It's a worry HE seem to be doing the same here as Chichester - trying to force a route through effectively without a proper consultations. I wonder if they will throw their toys out of the pram again here eventually?

Well, this is the direction things are heading with Stonehenge, where the "bypass the whole world heritage site" option was ruled out before consultation even though the consultation document suggested it may be £400m cheaper to build than a tunnel (£1-1.4bn rather than £1.4-1.8bn).

Cheaper and nastier - much more environmentally destructive with much lower journey time improvements.

[wrinkly]

Supplementary consultation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furt ... n-somerset

[Richardf]

Supplementary consultation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furt ... n-somerset

Not surprised. Lots of unanswered questions/issues surrounding that part of the scheme.

[jackal]

Further detail from the scheme page:

We are not proposing any further consultation on the section between West Hatch Lane and Southfields Roundabout at this stage because we have received clear feedback on our proposal from the completed consultation. We will look to make a preferred route announcement for this section of the route later this year subject to a detailed review of all responses.

Clearly WHL to Southfields was sufficiently popular to be part of the preferred route.

It's curious that the scheme is being split into two parts, but I think it's justified in this case. Much better to right what went wrong with the consultation, rather than try to gloss over it or use it as an excuse to bin the whole scheme a la Chichester. The follow up consultation is in such quick order it will probably not delay the scheme at all.

[jackal]

Apparently Somerset CC wanted a consultation on all four shortlisted options. HE seem to have ruled out the most offline option, but as the other options are identical east of West Hatch it could be that they will be in the rerun consultation.

Consulted option:

Other shortlisted options: