Traffic Signing Strategy

M6 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme

November 2016

M6 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme Traffic Signing Strategy

Traffic Signing Strategy

M6 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme

Revision Record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description No 1 10/11/16 MM PD LJ 2 18/11/16 MM PD IT 3 08/12/16 RW PD IT 4 16/01/17 PG PD IT 5 02/02/17 PG PD IT

This document has been prepared on behalf of Highways England by Mott MacDonald Sweco JV. It is issued for the party which commissioned it and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or used for any other purpose.

Mott MacDonald Sweco JV accepts no responsibility for the consequences of this document being relied upon by any other party, or being used for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission which is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties.

This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from Mott MacDonald Grontmij JV and from the party which commissioned it.

Prepared for: Prepared by: Highways England Mott MacDonald Sweco Quinton Business Park Grove House, Mansion Gate Drive 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Leeds, LS7 4DN Birmingham T: 0113 2620000 B32 1AF M6 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme Traffic Signing Strategy

Contents Page Contents Page ...... 1

1 Introduction ...... 3 1.1 Scheme background ...... 3 1.2 Preferred improvement option ...... 4 1.3 Purpose of this report ...... 4 1.4 Key to successful traffic signing ...... 4

2 Current Regulations and Guidance ...... 6

3 Existing Signing ...... 7 3.1 General provision ...... 7 3.2 Direction signing ...... 7 3.2 Tourist signing ...... 12 3.3 Goods Vehicle signing ...... 15 3.4 Non-motorised user signing ...... 15 3.5 Emergency diversion route signing ...... 15 3.6 Regulatory signs...... 17 3.7 Warning and other informatory signing ...... 18

4 Proposed Signing Strategy ...... 20 4.1 Direction signing ...... 20 4.2 Mounting of lane destination direction signs ...... 20 4.3 Tourist signing ...... 22 4.4 Goods vehicle signing ...... 23 4.5 Non-motorised user signing ...... 23 4.6 Emergency diversion route signing ...... 23 4.7 Regulatory signing ...... 23 4.8 Warning and other informatory signing ...... 24 4.9 SSSs ...... 24

5 Road Markings ...... 25

Appendix A – Existing Regulatory Signs ...... 26

Appendix B – Existing Warning and other informatory signs ...... 29

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Page 2 of 33 M6 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme Traffic Signing Strategy

1 Introduction 1.1 Scheme background

1.1.1 Walsall Council and Highways England are developing plans to provide a long term improvement to M6 junction 10 (M6J10). The junction currently experiences significant congestion and resultant delays, particularly during morning and evening peak times.

1.1.2 The area suffers from long queues at peak times on the Black Country Route eastbound to the M6 junction 10. There is also significant queuing on the roundabout and both the on and off motorway slip roads. Congestion also occurs on other roads leading to the junction, such as Wolverhampton Road, Wolverhampton Road West and Bloxwich Lane.

1.1.3 The junction is of strategic importance to Walsall and the wider area, providing access to the West Midlands. However, these queues affect the local community and business environment quite significantly, making it harder for businesses to get their goods and services to market, impacting local businesses and jobs.

1.1.4 Three objectives for the improvement scheme have therefore been identified;

- The first objective is to reduce congestion. By improving M6J10, congestion can be reduced on the A454 Black Country Route eastbound. Congestion can also be reduced on the other roads linking to the junction, such as A454 Wolverhampton Road, B4464 Wolverhampton Road West and Bloxwich Lane, reducing ‘rat-running’ traffic on nearby routes parallel to the A454 Black Country Route, the A454 Wolverhampton Road and the B4464 Wolverhampton Road West.

- The second objective is to support economic growth with the enhancement of transport infrastructure. Improving M6J10 will complement recent investments in local transport infrastructure made by Walsall Council. Highways England has also made significant recent investment with improvements to the M6. Together these schemes will result in enhanced operational conditions for existing businesses, especially those with Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) that rely on excellent links to the strategic road network. New business and development will be attracted to the area by enhanced road infrastructure and reduced journey times.

- The third objective is to provide a safe and serviceable network. Replacing the bridge structures over the M6 motorway removes the need for major maintenance work on the structures in the near future, and conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorised users can be enhanced at the same time.

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1.2 Preferred improvement option

1.2.1 Option 1b has been identified as the preferred option for improving junction 10. It comprises of two new curved 4-lane bridges replacing the existing M6 overbridges to the north and south of the roundabout. This option offers the largest improvement and is expected to show significant reductions to queues and delays on the A454/ Black Country Route and slip roads.

1.2.2 Concurrent with the construction of the new overbridges at junction 10, improvements to the signalised junction of the A454 Wolverhampton Road and Bloxwich Lane will also be implemented to increase capacity and reduce delays. Figure 1.1: Option 1b

1.3 Purpose of this report

1.3.1 This Traffic Signing Strategy Report has been prepared to aid the design process for the Highways England M6 Junction 10 Improvement scheme. It examines the existing signs at the junction and its’ immediate approaches and sets out the principles for signing the proposed improvement scheme. It is intended that, once agreed between all stakeholders, this report forms the basis on which the detailed traffic sign and road marking design will be carried out.

1.4 Key to successful traffic signing

1.4.1 Highway traffic signs are a vital element of the highway network, directing traffic around the network, influencing driver route choice, and reducing wasted mileage. Traffic signs should provide a consistent message to drivers. This means that if signs direct drivers to a named destination then this nomenclature should be used consistently throughout.

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1.4.2 Signing should also be continuous, i.e. it should direct drivers throughout their journey. Another key purpose of traffic signs, particularly at junctions, is as an aid to safety.

1.4.3 Since 60% of collisions occur at junctions, and a driver who is hesitant or lost and not fully concentrating on other traffic presents a hazard to other road users, then traffic signing can play an important role.

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2 Current Regulations and Guidance

2.1.1 All signs shall be of the size, colour and type prescribed by the Secretary of State as indicated in The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, current at the date of the execution of the works or as otherwise stated by the Secretary of State. All signs shall comply with the design rules set out in the current Traffic Signs Manuals and relevant publications of the Department for Transport and any subsequent revisions or amendments, or as modified herein.

2.1.2 All signs shall comply with the standards of tests, materials, forms of design and construction indicated in British Standard BS EN 12899-1:2007 Fixed Vertical Road Traffic Signs. All signs shall comply with BS EN 12899:2007 and the National Annex.

2.1.3 All suppliers of traffic signs should be quality assured to a minimum of ISO 9001, should be NHSS 9A compliant, and shall be fully compliant as of 1st July 2013, and be fully CE marked and audited be one of the UK registered bodies.

2.1.4 Based on current national guidance 1, 2 , the signing will be designed with respect for the visual amenity and to minimise clutter wherever possible. Existing signage will be retained and reused where appropriate.

2.1.5 The recommended maximum number of destinations on any sign in any direction is six. Where more than six destinations need to be shown for any one direction, consideration will be given to increasing the ‘x’ heights, or splitting the information over two signs.

2.1.6 Signs will be provided at key decision points on the network for both vehicular traffic and non-motorised users (NMU).

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3 Existing Signing 3.1 General provision

3.1.1 The M6 Junction 10 is a grade-separated junction connecting the M6 with the A454, both west and east of the junction, and B4464 to the west of the junction. As such the junction layout is signed from all its approaches. The A454 is a primary route and therefore requires white and green signing. The B4464 is a non-primary route.

3.2 Direction signing

3.2.1 In general, M6J10 and the adjacent Wolverhampton Road/ Bloxwich Lane junction are well provided for with direction signing, which is mostly the verge-mounted type (as opposed to gantry or cantilevered signing). Advanced direction signs are provided on approaches as well as direction signs at decision points. The signing provision is described in more detail in the paragraphs below and their locations shown in drawing 551484-MMSJV-HSN-RDBT-DR-C-00001.

M6J10

3.2.2 There are currently map-style advanced direction signs on all five approaches to the junction 10 gyratory. Two examples are given in the figures below.

Figure 3.1 Map-type advanced direction sign on northbound motorway diverge slip road

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Figure 3.2 Map-type advanced direction sign on A454 Wolverhampton Road approach

3.2.3 On both motorway offslip approaches and the A454 Wolverhampton Road approach there are also lane destination signs provided, like the example shown in Figure 3.3. Additionally, on the A454 east approach there are two, large cantilevered advanced direction signs located on the splitter island separating the dedicated left slip from the other lanes (see Figure 3.4).

Figure 3.3 Lane destination signs on A454 Wolverhampton Road approach

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Figure 3.4 Cantilevered direction signs on A454 Wolverhampton Road approach

3.2.4 Flag-type direction signs are provided on the nosing of all exits of the gyratory, as per the example in Figure 3.5. There are route confirmation signs for the M6 on both motorway merge slip roads.

Figure 3.5 Flag-type direction sign on nosing of northbound merge slip road.

3.2.5 As well as a flag-type direction signs there is also a pair of lane destination signs on the B4464 exit which helps to indicate to drivers the limited access this exit provides and the commencement of a bus lane, see Figure 3.6. It can be seen from Figure 3.6 that the current geometry of the B4464 exit, coupled with verge-side vegetation, makes it difficult to appreciate the layout of the road when approached from the circulatory carriageway, while vegetation obscures signing.

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Figure 3.6 Lane destination signs at the commencement of the B4464

Wolverhampton Road/ Bloxwich Lane Junction

3.2.6 There are currently map-style advanced direction signs on both A454 approaches to the Wolverhampton Road/ Bloxwich Lane signalised junction, as shown in Figure 3.7. Flag-type direction signs indicate destinations on Bloxwich Lane, as shown in Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.7 Map-type advance direction sign on A454 approaching the A454/Bloxwich Lane junction

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Figure 3.8 Map-type advance direction sign on A454 approaching the A454/Bloxwich Lane junction

3.2.7 Destinations on the hotel access road exit of the Wolverhampton Road/ Bloxwich Lane junction are not currently signed and there is a notable general lack of signing guiding drivers into or out of this road as shown in Figure 3.9.

Figure 3.9 View of Wolverhampton Road / Bloxwich Lane junction showing lack of direction signing for the hotel access road on the far right

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3.2 Tourist signing

3.2.1 Currently a number of different tourist destinations are signed at M6J10, these being:

- Arboretum - New Art Gallery - Dudley Zoo & Castle - Black Country Museum - Holiday Inn Hotel

3.2.2 However the tourist signing provided is inconsistent in its design and generally does not guide drivers continuously on their journey through junction 6. Drawing 551484- MMSJV-HSN-RDBT-DR-C-00002 shows the locations of the existing tourist signing.

3.2.3 On both motorway diverge slip roads the Walsall Arboretum is signed simply as ‘Arboretum’ - in the prescribed ‘white text on a brown background’ format - as patches within the advanced direction signs (see Figure 3.10 below).

Figure 3.10 Arboretum signing on southbound motorway diverge slip road

3.2.4 However, at the nosing for the A454 eastbound exit a new destination is introduced, with both ‘Arboretum’ and ‘New Art Gallery’ being signed as tourist destinations (Figure 3.11). Further along the A454 additional tourist destinations are introduced. This inconsistency between the diverge slip and the exit nosing may be due to the

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fact that the M6 diverge slip roads and the roundabout fall under different highway authority jurisdictions (the former being part of Highways England’s network and the latter being part of Walsall Council’s network), with possibly differing rules applied for signing tourist destinations.

Figure 3.11 Tourist signing on nosing of A454 Wolverhampton Road exit

3.2.5 On the nosing of the A454 Black Country Route exit from the roundabout there is a black on yellow sign indicating the route to take for ‘Dudley Zoo & Castle’ and ‘Black Country Museum’ (see Figure 3.12). This is the first time these destinations appear on signing in the vicinity of the junction. This is a non-prescribed sign and is incorrectly designed. It is also mounted too low and its’ ‘x’ height is too small to allow drivers to read all the information it contains in sufficient time to make a safe decision about which direction to take.

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Figure 3.12 Tourist signing on nosing of Black Country Road exit

3.2.6 There are two hotels located in close proximity to the junction; the Holiday Inn Hotel off the B4464 and the Holiday Inn Express off the A454 east. There is brown tourist signing to the Holiday Inn Hotel, both at the nosing of the B4464 exit from the gyratory and at the entrance to the service road that leads to it from the B4464 (see Figure 3.13 below). However, there is no such signing to the Holiday Inn Express. With two so similarly named hotels in close proximity to the proposed scheme thought will be required as to how these are signed.

Figure 3.13 Tourist signing for Holiday Inn Hotel on B4464

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3.3 Goods Vehicle signing

3.3.1 Currently the only goods vehicle signing in evidence at the junction is a black and white goods vehicle sign for Axcess 10 and Ashmore Lake, located on the nosing of the A454 Black Country Route exit from the roundabout (see Plate A4 in Appendix A). However, these destinations are not signed on any of the approaches to the junction and therefore goods vehicles would not know which exit these destinations were on as they approach junction 10.

Figure 3.14 Goods vehicle signing on nosing of the A454 Black Country Route exit

3.4 Non-motorised user signing

3.4.1 There is currently no non-motorised user signing within the scheme limits.

3.5 Emergency diversion route signing

3.5.1 There is evidence of existing emergency diversion route (EDR) signs within the scheme area. There appears to be a pair of EDRs on the northbound motorway diverge slip road (see Figure 3.15) and it also appears that the flag-type direction signs at the two motorway exits are the folding type and can be flipped to show diversion routes (see Figure 3.16).

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Figure 3.15 Emergency diversion sign (closed) on northbound motorway diverge slip road

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Figure 3.16 Evidence of Emergency diversion sign (partially open) on southbound motorway merge slip road

3.6 Regulatory signs

3.6.1 There are currently a number of regulatory signs within the scheme area, including:

- Speed limit signs (A454 Black Country Route approach to roundabout and both motorway diverge slip roads) - Clearway signs (A454 Black Country Route) - Motorway regulations commence (both motorway merge slip roads) - End of Motorway regulations signs (both motorway diverge slip roads) - Bus gate signs (on the B4464) - No entry signs (on the B4464 and both diverge slip roads) - Proceed left signs and associated chevrons (on the gyratory central island) - Red Route no waiting signs (A454 east)

3.6.2 Examples of existing regulatory signs are shown in Appendix A.

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3.6.3 There is a bus lane that commences immediately at the beginning of the B4454 exit to the gyratory leading to a bus gate, meaning that access to the B4454 is significantly restricted. At present drivers are inadequately warned of this restriction or of the presence of the bus lane and bus gate. This situation is exacerbated by the bus lane commencing on a bend, with vegetation on the nearside restricting forward visibility. There is a pair of bus gate regulatory signs provided, however, the nearside sign is obscured by vegetation (see Figure 3.2 below) while the offside sign is located too far away from the bus gate carriageway. General traffic is permitted to turn right into a hotel access road, but the whole arrangement is poorly signed and has the potential to mislead drivers.

Figure 3.2 View of bus gate on B4464 showing obscured nearside sign

3.7 Warning and other informatory signing

3.7.1 There are currently a number of warning and other (non-directional) informatory signs within the scheme area, including:

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- Traffic signals ahead warning signs –(all approaches to the gyratory and circulatory carriageway) - Roundabout ahead warning signs (southbound motorway diverge slip road) - Queues likely warning signs – (both motorway merge slip roads) - Variable speed limits informatory signs - (both motorway merge slip roads) - Variable message signs - (both motorway merge slip roads) - Speed cameras in area signs (circulatory carriageway and A454 east)

3.7.2 Examples of existing warning signs are shown in Appendix B.

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4 Proposed Signing Strategy 4.1 Direction signing

4.1.1 No changes to the roads served by Junction 10 are proposed and all primary, secondary and tertiary destinations currently signed will continue to be signed as part of the new scheme.

4.1.2 The new design for junction 10 incorporates significant widening of the existing junction and proposes between 4 and 6 lanes on the circulatory carriageway and 5 lanes on both motorway off slip approaches. It will therefore be essential to carefully consider how traffic is guided through the junction in the correct lane to each exit and this will necessitate a mixture of direction traffic signs, destination road markings and lane road markings.

4.1.3 Map-style advance direction signs will be used on all approaches to junction 10 and lane destination signs will be used on the approaches and on the circulatory carriageway to help guide traffic into the correct lanes. Stack-type advance direction signs will be used on the approaches to the A454 Wolverhampton Road / Bloxwich Lane junction although this will need to fall within Walsall Council requirements. Direction signs will be provided at all exits.

4.1.4 The current direction signs for business and retail parks will be incorporated into future signing as is the current situation.

4.2 Mounting of lane destination direction signs

4.2.1 Two primary options for mounting lane destination direction signs are available for this scheme; verge mounted signs or gantry mounted signs. These are discussed below. Justification for the chosen method of mounting signs shall be provided within the design process.

Option 1

4.2.2 Verge mounted signs would be the cheapest type to provide. However, there may be additional costs associated with them such as additional land-take requirements and retaining walls which may result in them being less cost-effective than a gantry- mounted solution.

4.2.3 Available land will need to be evaluated when considering verge-mounted signs and they may not be appropriate in all locations of the scheme. For example lane destination signs depicting destinations in four or five lanes will be very wide and require significant space to mount. It also may be difficult to install verge mounted signs adjacent to the sections of carriageway elevated above the motorway.

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4.2.4 Another consideration for their use will be visibility to the signs from all traffic lanes. Verge-side signs may need to be duplicated on the off-side to ensure visibility from all lanes and even then with the high number of lanes proposed on parts of the scheme visibility from all lanes may remain an issue. Drawing 551484-MMSJV-HSN- RDBT-DR-C-00004 shows suggested placement of verge mounted lane destination signs and indicates a number of locations where it would be problematic to construct verge-mounted signs due to land availability and lack of forward visibility to the signs from all traffic lanes.

Option 2

4.2.5 TD18/85 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges provides guidance on the use of gantry mounted traffic signs. It describes three situations where gantries should be considered:

- When side-mounted signs would be obscured for a significant proportion of a driver's "reading time"; - When the demands on the drivers concentration are such that it is unreasonable and possibly dangerous to divert his attention away from the traffic ahead and behind; - Where it is difficult to mount the signs on the left-hand side of the road.

4.2.6 For the first situation described above TD18/85 sets two criteria for considering the use of gantry mounted signs:

- The carriageway has or will have 4 running lanes; - The carriageway has 3 running lanes and carries (or will carry within 15 years of opening) 33,000 VPD (1-way) (high growth estimate) and the proportion of HGV's is greater than 20%.

4.2.7 With the high number of lanes proposed for the circulatory carriageway (up to six lanes) the potential for verge-mounted signs to be obscured by other traffic will be significant and demands on driver concentration will be high. This indicates that gantry-mounted traffic signs should be considered as part of the design in accordance with TD18/85. Their use should be considered on a location by location basis, but should be used throughout to promote consistency.

4.2.8 The average cost, including foundations, for a 20-25m gantry is in the region of £100K. The buildability and future maintainability of gantries above a busy junction such as Junction 10 will need to be considered if gantries are thought to be the design solution choice.

4.2.9 Drawing 551484-MMSJV-HSN-RDBT-DR-C-00004 shows suggested placement of gantry lane destination signs.

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Option recommendations

4.2.10 It is recommended that lane destination signs are predominantly provided as gantry mounted signs because:

- the criteria set out for the first situation in TD18 is considered to be exceeded: the carriageway will have more than 4 running lanes and therefore side-mounted signs would be obscured for a significant proportion of a driver's "reading time" - the high traffic flows, up to 34,000 vehicles with up to 16% HGVS per day, exacerbate the risk of vehicle collisions associated with verge mounted signs; increased number of vehicles potential obscuring verge mounted signs.

The lack of visibility to verge mounted signs is considered to increase the risk of vehicle collisions due to: - drivers being distracted or taking too long to read signs and therefore fail to stay in their lanes - drivers making late decisions to change lanes as they are unable to read signs at appropriate time or fail to read sign

4.2.11 For consistency, TD18 requires gantry mounted signs to be used throughout and this means that using gantry mounted traffic signs would increase the scheme’s signing costs by around £900k.

4.2.12 With the use of gantry mounted signs Walsall Council confirm that they appear to be the most suitable option with regard to advice provided in TD18.

4.2.13 The use of gantry mounted signs are accepted best practice and have been used on other motorway junctions such as M4 J9, M62 J18 and 28.

4.2.14 By mounting signs above the lane the signs are more visual and will help guide the motorist more safely to their chosen destination.

4.2.15 It will lead to a reduction to the number of gantries or overhead supports needed by combining the signs and signals onto the same structure.

4.3 Tourist signing

4.3.1 Tourist signing has been reviewed along with comments determined by Walsall Council. With regards to the proposed signs on the southbound side when exiting the M6 the legend Arboretum has been removed as design guidance (Chapter 7, Para 9.12) identifies that tourist signage should not be mounted on gantry signage. Walsall Council have also suggested that as the arboretum is situated within the centre of Walsall (which is well signed from the junction) it is more appropriate to start the signage within the central area of the town. In taking this approach all tourist signage for Arboretum and New Art Gallery will be removed.

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4.3.2 In respect to the existing black/yellow sign for Dudley Zoo (figure 3.12) it has been advised by Walsall Council that this sign should be removed as it does not conform to current regulations. Also, as Dudley forms part of the overall sign strategy for the junction there are proper direction signs situated closer to the town.

4.4 Goods vehicle signing

4.4.1 The current Goods Vehicle Signage sign is currently mounted as a flag sign leading onto the A454 Black Country Route. The destinations are well signed on the A454 and therefore the removal of this sign can be advised as it can cause confusion as there are no advance signs on any of the approach roads to J10.

4.5 Non-motorised user signing

4.5.1 A review has been undertaken as to the signing requirements for Non-Motorised Users (NMUs), including the incorporation of finger posts and signage indicating shared or segregated footways. It would appear there are no signs currently mounted and would suggest that the need for such signage may not be necessary and would be pending use or future demand. It may however be prudent to have further discussions with Walsall Council to ascertain if there are any future plans to upgrade/change or alter the routes as existing as no comment as currently been made.

4.6 Emergency diversion route signing

4.6.1 Sign on the southbound slip road will be removed however further consultation will be required with Highways England and other relevant bodies to confirm.

4.7 Regulatory signing

4.7.1 Existing regulatory signs, such as the speed limits, motorway restriction ends, and the restricted access to the B4464 have been reviewed in consultation with Walsall Council. With regards to the approach towards existing regulatory signing all of the existing signage is to remain as is however the End of Motorway and Speed Roundel (SG16) signs have been updated to provide a level of consistency on all relevant approaches.

4.7.2 The signing of the bus lane and bus gate and its associated restrictions on traffic movements on the B4464 has been considered to improve on the current situation. As there will be some alterations to the bus gate entrance in that the central reserve has been extended the scope of signage has also been considered. It would seem more appropriate to sign the bus gate at the mouth of the junction (where the island starts) and therefore we have proposed to amend the locations of the bus gate signs, removing the existing. We will also provide a flag sign for the Hotel although this will need further consideration from Walsall Council as to its appropriateness or need.

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4.7.3 Existing vegetation will need to be significantly cut back as the majority of existing signs are obscured. Further signing prior to the bus gate should be positioned to provide warning to those vehicle filtering from A454 and an End of Bus Lane sign will need to be positioned at the end of the bus lane.

4.8 Warning and other informatory signing

4.8.1 Warning signs will be provided where the designer believes that a hazard exists which is either not otherwise readily apparent, or is more severe than first appears.

4.8.2 The existing traffic signal, queues likely, and variable speed limit warning signs will be reviewed to determine whether they remain appropriate for the new junction layout.

4.8.3 The existing roundabout ahead sign Diag 510 - plate B1 – Appendix B - is to be removed as this is not required given that there is a large map sign indicated a roundabout is ahead on the nearside verge. The traffic lights sign Diag 543 is to remain.

4.9 Map and Flag direction signs – general.

4.9.1 A number of existing flag signs have been amended with the view of highlighting the primary routes only as any other destination signs currently being signed will be picked up closer to their destination and is consistent with signing when exiting the M6. The signs that have been amended are taken from Chapter 3 - Existing Signing (of this strategy) and have been reviewed and amended where necessary to bring them in line with current sign design guidance. These signs include Figure 3.2 (junction number added); Figure 3.7, Figure 3.8 (no weight limit to be included); Figure 3.11, Figure 3.16 (to be removed).

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5 Road Markings

5.1.1 All road markings shall be designed in accordance with the versions of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions and Traffic Signs Manual (Chapter 5) current at the date of the execution of the works.

5.1.2 White road markings shall comply with the following requirements:

- The material type shall be thermoplastic material complying with BS EN 1871:2000: and shall be either extruded or screed applied; - All markings shall be reflectorised; - The skid resistance level for road markings measured as described in BS EN 1436:2007: Table 7 shall be not less than 45; - The retro-reflectivity for road markings is as described in BS EN 1436:2007 dry road markings should be R3 for white as Table 3 (RL ≥ 150 mcd·m-2·lx-1), retro-reflectivity for road markings during wetness should be RW3 as Table 4 (RL ≥ 50 mcd·m-2·lx- 1), as a minimum.

5.1.3 Yellow road markings shall comply with the following requirements:

- The material type shall be thermoplastic material complying with BS EN 1871:2000: and shall be either extruded or screed applied; - All markings shall be reflectorised; - The skid resistance level for road markings measured as described in BS EN 1436:2007: Table 7 shall be not less than 45; - The retro-reflectivity for road markings is as described in BS EN 1436:2007 dry road markings should be R1 for yellow as Table 3 (RL ≥ 80 mcd·m-2·lx-1), retro-reflectivity for road markings during wetness should be RW3 as Table 4 (RL ≥ 50 mcd·m-2·lx- 1), as a minimum.

5.1.4 Permanent road studs to be used will be white, amber, green and red/amber non- depressible road studs embedded in a grey cast metal base, incorporating a reflector made from high impact polycarbonate resin, classification to BS EN 1463-1:2009.

5.1.5 Also to be used in temporary situations will be white, surface-mounted, reflecting road stud that can be used on any road surface, of the same type as used in the metal base. The road studs shall be mounted with applied hot bitumen adhesive.

5.1.6 Wolverhampton Road is subject to red route restrictions and red route road markings will be provided where they currently exist.

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Appendix A – Existing Regulatory Signs

Plate A1: Bus gate and no entry regulatory signs on the B4464

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Plate A2: Speed limit and clearway regulatory signs on the A454 Black Country Route

Plate A3: Proceed left regulatory sign in gyratory central island

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Plate A4: Speed limit and end of motorway regulations regulatory signs on the northbound motorway diverge slip road

Plate A5: Red Route no stopping regulatory sign on A454 east

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Appendix B – Existing Warning and other informatory signs

Plate B1: traffic signals and roundabout ahead warning signs on the northbound motorway diverge slip road

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Plate B2: Queues likely ahead warning sign on northbound motorway merge slip road

Plate B3: Variable speed limit ahead informatory sign

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Plate B4: Speed camera in area miscellaneous informatory sign on circulatory carriageway

Plate B5: Variable message sign on southbound motorway merge slip road

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