A34 Corridor Strategy Strategic Route Improvements 25 th November 2004 working together with

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Introductions -Andy Willis, Project Manager -Senior Engineer, Local Roads and Traffic Team, West Midlands

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Traffic and Local Roads Team -What Do We Do? -Conceptual design -Preliminary design -Modelling -Public consultation -Safety work -Detailed design -Contract preparation -Site supervision -Wide range of skills and projects. -Maximising existing road space. -Improving sustainable forms of transport. -Projects have short timescale to construction.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Preliminary Design: A34 Corridor Study - Background -FaberMaunsell commissioned by Sandwell MBC via Centro term commission to carry out study on A34 in Sandwell. -This section of dual carriageway is a main entry point into West Midlands conurbation via Junction 7 of M6 and suffers from serious congestion problems, especially in both morning and evening peak periods. -Study to embrace Bus Showcase, Red Routes initiatives. -Consider the impact of Metro (Light Rail) on the corridor. -Use of micro-simulation modelling.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 A34 Corridor Study – Bus Showcase -Bus Showcase -West Midlands tool – Partnership with authorities and bus operators -Improvement of all aspects of bus journey to make travel by bus more desirable. -Improvements measured against set of targets. Network Access Integration Accessible Design Frequency Reliability Journey Times Promotion Information Customer Care Attractiveness/Comfort Personal Security

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 A34 Corridor Study – Red Routes -Red Routes -More efficient use of existing road space. -Controlling parking and loading activity -Improving junction operation -Addressing accident problems -Improving pedestrian movements -No Stopping rather than No Waiting -Red lines to emphasise important route.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 A34 Corridor Study – Proposals and Solutions -4km Length of Dual Carriageway from Old Walsall Road junction (Birmingham Boundary) in South to Merrions Close (Walsall Boundary). -Project looked at entire corridor -Main junctions on corridor -Old Walsall Road junction -Scott Arms Junction -M6 Junction 7 -Chapel Lane

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Old Walsall Road Junction -ISSUES -Desire to remove existing subway facility. -U-turning traffic south of Scott Arms junction. -High speeds of vehicles using parallel merge combined with poor visibility from Jayshaw causing concern with local people. -PROPOSALS -Provide street-level crossing points. -Junction re-aligned and signalised to permit right turning out of Old Walsall Road -Re-align junction and signalised left turn out of Old Walsall Road

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Scott Arms Junction -PROPOSALS -Change order of signal stages to improve capacity -Provide staggered pedestrian crossing facility across Queslett Road -Bus lanes provided on approach to maintain benefit to buses in future years -ISSUES -Heavy congestion in peak periods -No pedestrian stage across Queslett Road. -High levels of queuing in future years

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 M6 Junction 7 -PROPOSALS -Signalise entries onto gyratory. -Manage traffic by relocating queues on network. -ISSUES -High levels of queuing on both approaches to the gyratory -In future years high volume of traffic on gyratory creates risk of severe congestion to the network

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Chapel Lane Junction -PROPOSALS -Convert to signalised junction to control movements at junction. -Include at-grade crossing facilities as part of junction. -Bus lane provided on southbound approach to ensure benefits to bus maintained. -ISSUES -Right turning accident problem -Recognised rat run -Desire to remove existing subway -High level of queuing in future years

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Predicted Benefits From Route Improvements Journey Time -AM peak -Southbound -5 minutes saving for general traffic -2 minutes saving for buses -Northbound -No change in journey time for general traffic -2 minutes saving for buses -PM peak -Southbound -No change in journey time for general traffic -1 minutes saving for buses -Northbound -3 minutes saving for general traffic -2 minutes saving for buses

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Predicted Benefits From Route Improvements Other -Future Years -Design year Benefits are maintained. -Corridor can be controlled using queue relocation. -Pedestrian Facilities -Conversion of subways to at-grade crossing facilities. -Extra pedestrian crossings. -Raised entry treatments at side roads. -Parking and Loading -Removal of double parking at Scott Arms (Birmingham). -Minimal loss of parking spaces. -Extra provision for loading.

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 How Will the Scheme Progress? -Consultation with general public, October Successful response -Minor amendments required to scheme -Detailed design and contract preparation, Spring-Summer Possible construction and site supervision, December Monitoring success of scheme, Autumn 2006 – Spring 2007

A34 Corridor Strategy - Strategic Route Improvements, 25th November 2004 Thank you for listening. Any questions?