AGENDA ITEM NO...... z...... NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL

REPORT

~ ~ ~~ To: PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE Subject: (Roads and Transportation Sub Committee) A8 TO NEWHOUSE : SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE’S PROPOSALS FOR MAINTENANCE From: DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

Date: 7 March 2001 I Ref: DiTTi7310WJM I

Purpose of Report

1. This report informs Committee of consultation on the proposals of the Scottish Executive for major maintenance works on the A8 between Baillieston and Newhouse and seeks homologation of the comments attached in Appendix A which have been forwarded to the Scottish Executive’s consultants.

Background

2. On 14 January the Department of Planning and Environment received a consultation on the environmental appraisal of the proposals for major maintenance works on the A8 at the above location.

Scheme Proposals

3. The Scottish Executive has decided, given the importance of the route, that two live traffic lanes in each direction should be maintained at all times during the works. The rehabilitation works will therefore require the addition of hard shoulders as well as improvements to a number of slip roads along the route.

4. The addition of 3.3m wide nearside hardshoulders on each carriageway will also increase the future level of service on the road by reducing the disruption to traffic due to incidents and it will provide safe refuge areas for breakdowns and emergency vehicle access.

5. A new safety barrier will be erected along the length of the A8. In certain locations on the route a vertical concrete barrier (VCB) will be required to provide additional protection to bridge piers and safety to road users where the full central reserve width cannot be achieved. All existing gaps in the central reserve will be closed.

6. Other works will include bridge improvements, replacement of signs and lighting, the installation of driver information systems including CCTV coverage and variable message signs connected to the national driver information control system.

7. The cost of the proposals is around 220 million and the period of construction is estimated to last around 18 months. The anticipated start date for the scheme is late 200 1 / early 2002.

I .:SS:CORRESUPORT~8reliab.doc 3 Comments on Consultation

8. To meet Scottish Executive deadlines, the comments which are attached at Appendix A have already been forwarded to the consultants to the Scottish Executive.

Recommendations

9. Committee is asked to:-

a) note the extent of the proposed works and the timescale for implementation, b) homologate the comments attached in Appendix A as the response of the Council to this consultation.

cj. David M. Porch DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

23 February 2001

For further information please contact John Marran on 01236 616253

4 North Lanarkshire Council

Department of Planning and Environment

The views and comments of North Lanarkshire Council on the proposals for maintenance works to the A8 between Baillieston and Newhouse are as follows.

Construction Proposals

It is noted that the rehabilitation works are very extensive and involve a full depth reconstruction of the existing road pavement, 0 the addition of 3.3m wide hardshoulders, the erection of new safety and VCB barriers, 0 the closure of all central reserve gaps, bridge works, 0 installation of lighting, a driver information control system and CCTV.

It is further noted that the current proposals are intended to start in late 2001 or early 2002 and that they have a minimum design life of 10 years. Meanwhile the ongoing AS corridor study is scheduled for completion in April 2002.

The upgrading of the AS to full motorway standard is seen by the Council as integral to the social and economic regeneration of the area. One of our main concerns regarding the proposed scale of the maintenance work is that it seems to imply a deferral of a more substantial upgrade. Otherwise there is likely to be substantial abortive work in the event of a recommendation from the A8 corridor study for an early major upgrade of the A8.

As well as the potential for abortive work, the Council is concerned that the local network could be subject to continuing traffic chaos for many years. The effects are similar whether the A8 upgrading follows on from the current proposals or if this is deferred

The following detailed comments are therefore made against this background

Need for Junction Improvements

Existing grade separated junctions are grossly substandard in terms of layout and capacity. The opportunity should therefore be taken to carry out improvements at , Shawhead and .

At Bargeddie, the slips on and off are associated with very tight radius curves which inhibit merging and diverging speeds to the detriment of the safe movement of other traffic on the AS. We would suggest that the eastbound diverge and westbound merge lanes be extended in length to compensate for these deficiencies. To improve junction performance, we would also urge the case for a roundabout at the end of the slips on the southern side of the AS complementary to the roundabout on the north side.

At Shawhead, the slip road junctions with the A725 trunk road have long suffered a severe lack of capacity and poor layout. This leads to major congestion and reduced road safety in the immediate area with regular queuing on the eastbound off ramp back on to the AS. There is also regular excessive queuing daily on the A725 northbound on the approach to the interchange. We would therefore urge the need for associated junction improvementshraffic management measures on the A725 immediately north and south of the A8.

At Chapelhall, the issues are similar to Bargeddie and the same remedial measures are required.

Bridge improvements/ 5 Bridge improvements

For the bridge works proposed at Shawhead overbridge we are concerned about the impact these will have on the capacity of the A725 at this point and the effect on pedestrian movement. It is assumed that these will have to be programmed to be carried out either before the main carriageway works begin or after they are completed to minimise the disruption to traffic interchanging between the A8 and the A725.

Traffic which diverts during roadworks

Because of the high volumes of traffic which are expected to divert during the roadworks (I0-14% indicated) safety audits should be carried out on the likely diversion routes which this traffic will take (including unsigned options). This will allow remedial measures to be put in place before the start of the works and will ensure the safety of both road users and residents on these diversion routes. Traffic may be expected to divert in a north/south direction as well as eastjwest and it is assumed that both have been included in the assessment of diversions. Account also needs to be taken of the likelihood of an even higher %age of drivers diverting in the event of an emergency within the road works or an incident on alternative parallel north/south and east/ west motonvay/trunk road routes.

Environmental assessments

Consideration should be given to the environmental assessments already carried out in this corridor e.g. Ironside Farrar, on behalf of the former Scottish Office for the M8 DBFO project,

Land Use Consultants, for the Newhouse West () development,

Turnbull Jeffrey Partnership, in connection with junction 6,

The two MSA proposals in the vicinity of the Drumpark A752 junction,

The Faskine single user site to the north of Eurocentral,

The Aulay Estates proposals at Carnbroe,

The Douglas Support proposals to the west of Shawhead on the south of the A8

Nature conservation

This area of the A8 corridor is currently bordered or traversed by a number of sites of importance to nature conservation (SINCS). The proposed roadworks could potentially impact on a significant number of these ecologically sensitive areas. These areas have been assessed by the Conservation and Greening section of the Council's Community Services Department and their advice should be sought on this matter.

Other factors which need to be taken into account include the encroachment of the expanded road corridor into existing SINCS and an assessment of the nature of the SINC areas which are in close proximity to the A8, particularly at Orchard Farm Pond and North Calder Water. An implementation programme should be proposed for measures required to protect this unique environment.

It should be noted that the Council intends promoting Tree Preservation Orders for some of the woodland alongside the A8.

6 Sustainable urban drainage

The A8 corridor bisects and drains into a number of localised and / or wider water networks. The opportunity now presents itself to protect and enhance the adjacent watercourses by the implementation of an environmentally friendly road drainage scheme following the principles recommended in the SUDS guidance.

At present a flooding problem exists in the south west corner of Old Monklands Cemetery. This occurs at the low point in the A8 drainage on this length, the Council will expect assurance to be given that this problem will not be exacerbated and indeed improved by the proposed works.

Local biodiversity action plan (LBAP)

The Council has adopted a local biodiversity action plan and committed itself to implementing its recommendations. Any landscape mitigation measures to be executed along the expanded A8 corridor should be based upon the principles set out in this action plan. (Copy enclosed). It is assumed that the provisions of the Scottish Executives Trunk Road Biodiversity Action Plan will also be taken into account.

Methane migration at Shanks McEwen

Account must be taken, in the proposals for this scheme, of the possibility of methane migration from the Shanks and McEwen operated land infill site adjacent to the A8.

Adjacent development

A number of development proposals are currently being considered both through planning applications and initial consultations on a number of sites along this corridor. Any expansion proposals for the A8 road solum should recognise and complement the potential development.

In the details of information indicated as being available to ERM, no mention is made of the regular reports on development progress within in this corridor which are made to Messrs JMP, who are acting on behalf of the Scottish Executive in this matter. It is a concern to this Council that the roads proposals being considered and the future upgrading of the route which is likely to be recommended by the multi-modal study will involve years of disruption due to construction work which will reduce the attractiveness of this corridor to potential investors.

It is not clear from your briefing note if you have copies of the relevant local plan (Monklands District Local Plan 1991, Adopted in 1995) and the A8/M8 Corridor Interim Land Use Strategy (Approved in 1997) for this corridor. If not these can be made available by the Council.

Historic environment

It will be necessary to undertake a desktop assessment in relation to any possible impact upon listed buildings and / or archaeology.

Pedestrian provisions

At present some north / south pedestrian desire lines exist along this corridor. The A8 forms the southern boundary of South Coatbridge SIP. It is essential that residents of the SIP should not be isolated from gaining access to the countryside recreational opportunities south of the A8. Is there any intention to cater for all ability multi purpose non vehicular traffic by providing safe pedestrian 7 access across the AS? Two sites on the Kirkshaws Road, bounded to the south by the A8 have planning consent for housing and this could lead to even more pedestrian movement in the area. North Lanarkshire Council have recently completed a public consultation on our public access strategy, the results of which can be made available.

Hard shoulder / slip interface problems

Details on the above are not clear from the information received, however consideration needs to be given to the finalised hard shoulder / slip road interface as well as the hard shoulder / no hard shoulder interface to minimise driver misunderstandings of the road layout which could lead to an increase in accidents after construction. Vibraline should be used between the edge of carriageway and the hard shoulder to alert drivers. Dependant on the interface between hard shoulder and slip, consideration should be given to the use of coloured surfacing to highlight the change.

Road safety during roadworks

The highest concentrations of accidents occurring on this route are at times of roadworks. It is therefore a major concern that the proposed works will lead to a marked increase in the number of accidents over the construction period. It is recommended that variable message signs (VMS’s) are used well in advance of the works to warn drivers of the danger of queuing cars ahead. Consideration should also be given to the use of speed discriminating VMS’s where speeding drivers are identified and asked to slow down.

Slip road diversions

Diversions associated slip road closures should only be put in place overnight. Day time closures will lead to reduced road safety on Council roads.

Proposed lane widths during works

We need hardly remind you but the A8 carries exceptionally high numbers of HGVs including those going to and from the key rail terminals at Gartsherrie and at EurocentraV Mossend. The proposed nearside lane width of 3.0m during the construction phase is inadequate for use by this number of HGV’s and buses and should be increased to a minimum of 3.25m.

Eurocentral slip roads adoption

The issue of the adoption of the Eurocentral slip roads should be finalised before the scheme programme is completed to allow any required work to be included.

Narrowed verge width for signing

Despite the increased width of roadway within a restricted land boundary, no reduction in sign sizes should be considered in the interests of road safety and good practice re information signing.

Public transport provision

Consideration should be given to provision of a viable alternative to the use of the car during these roadworks. This could involve a public information exercise large enough to target all users which would encourage increased use of local and longer distance trains, park and ride and bus travel (either full journey or part journey). Encouraging travel outwith the main peaks could also be of benefit in this respect.

However, there is also an issue of safety and increased journey times associated with public transport services. This applies both on the AS and on other adjacent routes carrying increased flows because of diverted traffic. This needs to be quantified and appropriate measures put in 8 place. There may be scope for the establishment of a quality bus corridor in due course and this needs to be examined.

Air quality monitoring

The effects on air quality during the construction works should be monitored at the most congested sections and comparisons made with before figures both in the corridor and on diversion routes.

Department of Planning and Environment North Lanarkshire Council

29 January 200 1

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