A303/A30/A358 Corridor

Feasibility Study Reference

Group Meeting

20 May 2014
Purpose of meeting
To agree the terms of reference for the Reference
Group.

To explain the work done to progress the study since
January.
Finalisation of scope document.
Progression of stage one of the work to gather
evidence on the performance of the routes.

To set out proposals for the progression of stage 2 of
the study option identification.
Background
Following 2013 Spending Review, Government announced that it will identify
and fund solutions to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing
road hot spots in the country by conducting 6 feasibility studies:
The A27 corridor (incl. Arundel and Worthing)
The A303/A30/A358 corridor
The A1 North of Newcastle
The A1 Newcastle-Gateshead Western Bypass
Trans-Pennine routes
The A47 corridor

Studies progressed alongside the Highways Agencys Route Strategy
programme.

Outcomes inform future roads investment decisions as part of the Roads
Investment Strategy development process.


Background
Met with stakeholders on 24 January in
Taunton.

Set out the proposed scope of work and
timescales for the study.

Explained intention to establish a Stakeholder
Reference Group.
Study aims and objectives
Study Aim: to identify the opportunities and
understand the case for future investment
solutions on the A303/A30/A358 corridor that are
deliverable, affordable and offer value for money.

Study aims and objectives
Study Objectives:
Identify and assess the case, deliverability and timing of specific
infrastructure investments that address existing and future
problems on the A303/A30/A358 corridor
To understand the balance of benefits and impacts from potential
individual investment proposals and any additional benefits or
impacts from an investment on a corridor basis.
To evidence where possible, the wider economic benefits from the
transport investment in the corridor.
To understand the impacts of potential investment in the
A303/A30/A358 corridor on the performance of other road
transport corridors to the South West region.
Understand the impacts of the proposed investment in the
A303/A30/A358 corridor on the resilience of the road transport
network.

Timescales and staging of work
Stage 1 Review of evidence and identification of
problems along the corridor
Complete by end of
March 2014
Stage 2 Work to finalise the range of infrastructure
proposals that could address the
problems along the corridor
Complete by end of
July 2014
Stage 3 Work to assess the affordability, value for
money and deliverability of prioritised
infrastructure proposals

Complete by autumn
2014
Study management arrangements
Project board comprised of Departmental and
Highways Agency staff to manage and control the
study work.

Stakeholder Reference Group to ensure
stakeholders views are considered and captured
during the study process.
Meet following completion of each of the stages of
work.

Reference Group Terms of Reference
Reference Group serves to:
Represent the views of relevant organisations in relation
to the Feasibility Study and its activities, and where
possible, the views of wider stakeholders.

Provide details where necessary of related activities,
strategies and proposals which may impact on, or need to
be taken account of in the study work.

Communicate the activities of the Feasibility Study
Reference Group to a wider group of regional and local
stakeholders.
Finalised scope document
Key themes from comments received specifically in relation to
the A303/A30/A358 corridor scope document:
- Need to build on previous work and studies
- Study should identify early interventions together with a
long-term plan.
- Study should result in a prioritised list of interventions.

Comments received in relation to other studies:
Comment Changes made to scope document
Insufficient protection and
recognition given to
environmentally sensitive areas
and landscape designations
Work will abide by current commitments, as set out
within the National Planning Policy Framework and
draft NNNPS, to carefully consider the impacts of
schemes on such sites.
Stage 1 progress and findings
The following slides describe the work undertaken in this
Stage 1 of the study and will cover the following:
Approach to completing the stage 1 work
Overview of the background and previous work
completed
Overview of the current situation on the corridor
Overview of the predicted/forecast future situation on
the corridor
Explanation of the need for intervention
Summary of the intervention-specific objectives
Conclusions and recommendations


Approach to stage 1



WebTAG Guidance on Transport Appraisal:

Understand the current situation
Understand the future context
Consider the need for intervention and objectives to
address that need
Identifies/ determine the region of impact


Approach to stage 1 (cont.)
Evidence from Previous Studies
Used evidence from SW Peninsular Route Strategy
Consideration of evidence and data from previous studies including:
London to South West and South Wales Multi-Modal Study 2002
A303/A30 Corridor Management Study Problem Identification Report
South West Stress Mapping March 2012
A303 A30 A358 Corridor Improvement Programme: Economic Impact Study and
Sectional Economic Analysis January 2013
A303 Scoping Study July 2013

Additional Evidence gathered from:
Local Authority Local Transport Plans
Strategic Economic Plans
Local Transport Boards
Stakeholders
Consultation feedback

Background and previous work

Improvements to A303 considered over many decades

2002 - London to South West and South Wales Multi-Modal Study (SWARMMS).

2007 - the cancellation of the Amesbury to Berwick Down Scheme (Stonehenge)
- the SWARMMS strategy could no longer be pursued

2011 - A303 Working Group established

2013 - A303 Working Group presented findings, resulted in A303 Scoping Study
- Following the 2013 Spending Review Government announced that it would identify and
fund solutions to tackle some of the countrys most notorious hotspots.

2014 - January: Initial Stakeholder Meeting
- April: Scope Finalised
A303 / A30 / A358 Corridor
Characteristics
Part of HA SRN (except
A358)
Part of TEN-T network
Strategic importance to
access South West
195 km
63% Dualled, 37% Single
carriageway
Speed limits 30 70mph
Strategic and local function
Route Usage
Business
commute
other
leisure
HGV proportion 8-11%
High seasonal impact

Current Route Performance
Considered following factors/measures of
performance
Traffic Flow
Congestion and Stress
Journey Time Reliability (OTRM)
Safety
Environmental considerations
Comprehensive robust and current data used
derived from HA, DfT, Defra and Local Authority
sources.
Current Average Daily Traffic Flows
(October 2013)
2013 Summer Additional Traffic
(to October Average)
Current 2013 Neutral Month Stress

Current 2013 Summer Month Stress

Journey Time Reliability
Based on HA On Time Reliability Measure against a historic reference travel time.
Personal Injury Accidents

A303/A30/A358
Entire Corridor

876 personal injury
accidents
22% severity ratio
Average 175 PIA/yr
Average 4.5 PIA per km

However
Comparable to national
average rates
Corridor improvements -
30% reduction in year on
year accident rate since
2008
36
154
686
5 Year PIA Record
(2008 2012)
Fatal Serious Slight
Personal Injury Accidents (2)
24
12
Fatal
Unimproved Sections Rest of corridor
24 = 67% of all fatal accidents on 37%
of the corridor route length
61
93
Serious
325
361
Slight
77.5
195.8
Route length (km) within
Corridor
Fatal and Serious Accident Locations:
Unimproved sections
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
[PERCENTAGE]
A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down
(Stonehenge)
A303 Wylye to Stockton Wood
A303 Chicklade Bottom to Mere
A303 Sparkford to Ilchester
A303 Podimore Roundabout
A303 Cartgate Roundabout
A303 South Petherton to
Southfields
A358 Southfields to M5 (Junction
25)
A303 Southfields to Honiton
NB. This does not take into account differential section lengths
Environmental Key Considerations
Cultural Heritage
Stonehenge WHS
Noise
23 First Priority Locations
Landscape and Boidiversity associated with AONBs at
Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
Blackdown Hills
Flooding Designations
Stretches of route
are adjacent to or
cross many water
courses and rivers
Recent events
2013/4 highlighted
flood risk
Deptford flooding
due to land run off
Flood plan now in
place

Future Conditions on the Corridor
Future conditions on the corridor will be influenced by:
Background traffic growth due to changing social,
demographic and economic factors
Specific growth proposals for the corridor, region or beyond.
Key developments and growth expected at for example Exeter,
Stonehenge Visitor Centre, Solstice Park and Andover.
Growth agenda reviewed in LEPs Strategic Economic Plans, City
Deals, Local Authority plans









Developments adjacent to the
corridor have the following
allocations up to 2031

Location Houses Jobs
East Devon 7000 10000
Exeter 7000 3000
South Somerset 9000 5000
Taunton Deane 14500 10000
Wiltshire 26000 12000
Test Valley 3000
Total 66500 40000
Future Conditions on the Corridor (2)
However further into the South West
Peninsula are other key proposals such as
:






Over the SWP a total of
242,000 additional households
and 150,000 new jobs are
planned by 2031
Tempro growth estimates
households and jobs will grow
by:

9% by 2021,
20% by 2031 and
30% by 2041
Jobs grow by between 4 and
6%
Applied growth to base traffic
flow data for congestion

Location Houses Jobs
Cornwall 23000 11000
Plymouth 47000 4000
West Devon 3000 1500
Torbay 18000 10000
South Hams 3000 3000
Teignbridge 6000 5000
Total 100000 34500
Committed Highway Network improvements
A303/A3088 Cartgate Roundabout
M5 J25
Yeovil Western Corridor
SMART motorways planned schemes
Bullington Cross A303/A34 junction
Exeter PUA Scheme (near M5 J30)
East Anton A303/A3093 junction
Future Growth Locations
Adjacent to the Corridor
Future Traffic Flow Growth
Future Year Stress Levels
2021
2041
Evidenced need for intervention
Stage 1 has examined route conditions based on congestion, journey
times, safety and environmental considerations.
Clearly the single carriageway sections experience the worst conditions
Building on the growth agenda for the region conditions will deteriorate
The following key sections have initially been identified for further
investigation in Stage 2:
Amesbury to Berwick Down
Chicklade Bottom to Mere
Sparkford to Ilchester
South Petherton to Southfields
Southfields to Honiton
Traffic modelling will fine tune the assessment of impacts and solutions
No definitive solution for sections identified
Intervention-specific objectives
Based on the evidenced need for intervention the following objectives are
proposed against which potential investment options will be assessed
Strategic
Objectives
Supporting
Economic Growth
Facilitate growth in employment at key
centres and locations along the
A303/A358/A30 corridor
Facilitate growth in
housing a key development
hotspots along the corridor
Operational
Objectives
Capacity Reduce delay and queues that occur during the peak hours and seasonal times
of the year
Resilience Improve the resilience of the route such that the number of incidents and the
effect of accidents is reduced
Safety Reduce the number of collisions on the A303/A358/A30 corridor
Connectivity Improve the connectivity of the South West to the rest of the UK, to reduce
peripherality and improve business and growth prospects.
Environmental Avoid unacceptable impacts on the surrounding natural environment and
landscape and optimise the environmental opportunities and mitigation that the
intervention could bring
Conclusions and recommendations
Stage 1 examined route conditions based on congestion,
journey times, safety and environmental considerations
which identified key issues for the unimproved sections
Specific sections have been identified for further
investigation in Stage 2
It is recommended that in parallel to Stage 2 a strategic
traffic model be updated to be able to robustly appraise
the schemes on a region wide basis

Approach to stage 2
In Stage 2 the process involves:
Following WebTag Transport Appraisal process
Option generation building on existing work
Sifting
Drafting of an Options Assessment Report
Confirm Appraisal Specification Report
Timing end of July 2014
Sifting to examine
Value for money
Deliverability
Affordability
Next steps
Continue with stage 2 of study work to
develop a range of options to address the
issues identified.

Convene another meeting of the Reference
Group in early August to discuss findings and
options to be considered in more detail in
stage 3.