Maidstone Integrated Transport Package
To: Maidstone Joint Transportation Board – 21st March 2017
Main Portfolio Area: Maidstone
By: Russell Boorman, Project Manager.
Classification: For Information
Ward: Division:
Summary:
Kent County Council received funding from the Local Growth Fund to deliver improvements to locally identified ‘congestion hotspots’ within the Borough of Maidstone. Construction of the first location is due to commence in autumn 2017.
1.0 Introduction and Background
1. Introduction
1.1 The locations identified have been jointly approved by Kent County Council and Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) as requiring measures to address the existing traffic congestion and improve journey time reliability. The junctions were agreed at the Maidstone JTB in October 2015. The original approved SELEP business case was to construct an additional ‘Park and Ride’ site within the Maidstone Borough. This option was removed by MBC and a new business case was submitted and approved to progress the identified junction improvements.
1.2 The locations are identified below:
· A274 Sutton Road junction with Willington Street
· A20 London Road junction with Willington Street
· A274 Sutton Road junction with A229 Loose Road ‘Wheatsheaf junction’
· A229 Loose Road junction with Cripple Street/Boughton Lane
· A229 Loose Road junction with Armstrong Road/Park Way
· A20 London Road junction with Hermitage Lane
· M20 Junction 5
· B2246 Hermitage Lane junction with St Andrews Road
· A20 Coldharbour roundabout
· A26 Tonbridge Road junction with Fountain Lane
1.3
The total Local Growth
Fund allocation for the identified junctions is £8.9m over four years to 2020. Future
growth in the local area will increase the overall fund with Sec106
contributions to approximately £11m. Each junction improvement will seek to
improve the capacity of the overall junction and improve air quality to
surrounding areas.
2.0 Body of the report - Update
2.1 A274 Sutton Road junction with Willington Street: As an initial layout design was found to reach saturation point in the first year after construction, a re-design has been carried out to increase the approach lengths and overall capacity of the junction. Further modelling work has been completed which includes future growth to 2029. At this stage of the design process, an improvement to assist congestion and improve journey time reliability has been demonstrated. All works can be delivered within the highway boundary. The current design does not allow for bus prioritisation; however this could be retrofitted at a later date. The views of the JTB on whether bus priority should be included are sought.
The key milestones in the current programme are:
- Revised outline design completed – March 2017
- Detailed design – end of June 2017
- Engagement – March 2017 to end of June 2017 (ongoing with all stakeholders throughout)
- Procurement – July 2017 to August 2017
- Award – September 2017
- Construction period – October 2017 – April 2018 (allows vegetation to be removed in correct period)
KCC are currently assessing options to reduce the above timescales and engage with contractors at an early stage.
2.2 A20 London Road junction with Willington Street: This junction improvement will incorporate a dedicated left turn into Willington Street on the westbound approach. Feasibility options have been investigated including a roundabout. The most suitable option for capacity improvements is to retain the existing traffic signals with an increased dedicated left turn lane and a dedicated straight ahead lane by utilising the existing hatched area. This scheme can be delivered through the Kent County Council Term Maintenance Contract and is contained within the highway boundary.
The key milestones in the current programme are:
- Design completed
- Engagement – March - June 2017
- Delivery June to August 2017
2.3 A229 Loose Road corridor including Wheatsheaf, Armstrong Road, Cripple Street/Boughton Lane junctions: Extensive feasibility design has been completed which has assessed the junctions individually. The corridor has been incorporated as ‘one scheme’ to demonstrate the overall benefits that would be achieved collectively once construction works are completed. Options have looked at a holistic approach and not been confined to the highway boundary to maximise the required outcomes. Detailed design timescales could be reduced dependant on the preferred schemes decision. In addition, KCC property (GEN2) has been commissioned to assess the benefits of purchasing adjacent land. Amey has carried out assessment and design work to demonstrate whether addition land could benefit the congestion and improve capacity. Further work is required to make an informed decision on proceeding with the property purchase. The current design does not allow for bus prioritisation; however this could be retrofitted at a later date. The views of the JTB are sought on whether bus priority should be included.
The key milestones in the current programme are:
· Feasibility designs completed
· Preferred schemes confirmed - July 2017
· Detailed designs – July 17 to March 2018
· Land acquisitions – July 17 to July 2018
· Consultation period – July 2017 to December 2017 (could increase if CPO’s are required)
· Procurement – March 2018 to June 2018
· Construction period – August 2018 to April 2019
2.4 M20 J5 including London Road/Hermitage Lane & Coldharbour roundabout: Early modelling work has identified the original JTB design did not offer robust capacity benefits on Hermitage Lane/London Road. Design discussions were held and an option looked at to utilise the land adjacent for a dedicated slip road for westbound traffic from London Road turning into Hermitage Lane. It has been brought to Kent County Councils attention that the land owner may not be willing to sell a parcel of land. Consideration also has to be given to the proposal of a link road between Hermitage Lane and Coldharbour roundabout (developer funded) that would mitigate the impact on the London Road junction but could impact on the Coldharbour roundabout. Amey are currently assessing the roundabout accordingly (enlarged circulatory) and progressing designs to assess a roundabout at the London Road/Hermitage Lane junction. Design work to signalise J5 and increase capacity on the existing circulatory are progressing well. An initial meeting has been held with Highways England to understand the approval process and procedures required. Land acquisition may be required to optimise the benefits of improvements at these locations.
The key milestones in the current programme are:
· Outline design – April 2017
· Detailed design – April 2017 to August 2017
· Tender documents – September 2017 to November 2017
· Engagement period – April 2017 to November 2017
· Procurement – January 2018 to May 2018
· Utility diversions – July 2018 to December 2018
· Construction period – April 19 to October 19
Additional design has been incorporated to improve the new signalised junction at the retail park on Hermitage Lane. It was prudent to carry out the work on this junction as it has a direct impact on the London Road design work. Therefore a proposal to construct a dedicated right turn lane on Hermitage Lane into the retail park has been promoted to Tonbridge & Malling within the highway boundary. Detailed design work is progressing that would see construction being carried out using the existing Kent County Council Term Maintenance Contract in the summer 2017.
2.5 B2246 Hermitage Lane junction with St Andrews Road: Feasibility designs have been undertaken to assess what improvements can be delivered at this constrained junction. A design has been produced that would require third party land and the introduction of Traffic Regulation Orders to assist with free passage of vehicles and improvement in capacity and journey time reliability. Design work to assess the impact on Tonbridge Road at its junction with Fountain Lane is being undertaken as part of the feasibility work due to the concern of a negative impact on this junction.
The key milestones in the current programme are:
· Feasibility – March 2017
· Preferred scheme - April 2017 to July 2017
· Outline design – August 17 to January 2018
· Engagement – February 2018 to July 2018
· Detailed design – February 2018 to July 2018
· Tender documents – June 2018 to September 2018
· Procurement – April 2019 to June 2019
· Utility diversions – March 2019 to July 2019
· Site clearance – September 2019 to October 2019 (allows vegetation to be cleared in correct period)
· Construction – October 2019 to March 2020
3.0 Financial
3.1 The overall SELEP contribution is £8.9m.
4.0 Legal implications
4.1 Any legal implications will be assessed during the next stages of the design process.
4.2 Schemes will be progressed through permitted development where appropriate. If planning permission is required to deliver an improvement, necessary timings will be allowed within the programme accordingly.
5.0 Conclusions
5.1 There have been challenges during the early stages of the design process which have been mitigated where possible.
5.2 Design work for all the junctions in 1.2 is being progressed simultaneously to mitigate any further delays.
5.3 Communication and engagement will begin immediately with a campaign to capture the wider audience to inform of the forthcoming works following the JTB. Specific Member sessions will be arranged and engagement sessions with the local business community will take place.
5.4 Steering group meetings will continue to and throughout the design and construction phases to ensure all parties are kept informed of progress.
6.0 Recommendations
6.1 It is recommended that design continues in line with the current programme.
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