Tees-Valley-Roads-Implementation-Plan-2020.Pdf
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Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Role of Roads 4 3. A Key Route Network for the Tees Valley 7 4. Aspirations for the Key Route Network 11 5. Current Investment Priorities and Funding 14 6. Action Plan 20 2 Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan 2020 1. Introduction Tees Valley Combined Authority is the local transport authority for the Tees Valley. This is the Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan, part of the first Strategic Transport Plan for the region, for the period up to 2030. It has been developed by the Combined Authority in collaboration with our five constituent Local Authorities, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. The Combined Authority has ambitious plans to grow the region’s economy and our Strategic Economic Plan aims to create 25,000 Our vision for new jobs and deliver an additional £2.8billion into Tees Valley by Tees Valley is: 2026. We are also developing a Local Industrial Strategy, an agreement between us and the Government on how we will To provide a high improve our economy over the next ten years and how this will quality, quick, feed into the Government’s overall UK strategy. affordable, reliable, low carbon and In order to ensure that everyone in Tees Valley is able to work, safe transport study, enjoy and fully participate in these ambitious plans for the network for people future, we need a world-class transport system that also encourages inward investment. Transport is about connecting and freight to move people and businesses in Tees Valley and beyond. Delivering a within, to and from world-class transport system that is fit for the future is a critical Tees Valley. enabler for the success of the area. In preparing the Strategic Transport Plan, a framework was developed based upon six themes, which are closely linked and will all require improvement in order to meet the overall transport vision for the Tees Valley. The six key themes are: National Rail. Major Roads. Connecting Economic Centres. Unlocking Key Sites. Local Journeys. Delivering Social Equality, Carbon Reduction and Protecting the Environment To support the Strategic Transport Plan itself, a series of Implementation Plans have been prepared which go into more detail on the current and future issues, and the interventions needed, across the six themes listed above. This Roads Implementation Plan covers issues relating to the second theme in the above list in particular, but also links to the third and fourth themes as well. It explores the importance of roads to the transport network and introduces the concept of a Key Route Network for Tees Valley and an Area Action Plan for delivering improvements, as well as setting out the strategic approach to be taken in relation to asset management. Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan 2020 3 2. Role of Roads The importance of the road network to the economy and economic growth is well understood. As highlighted in Highways England’s Road to Growth (2017) the road network can: Support business productivity and competitiveness by reducing costs and facilitating agglomeration (clustering of businesses); Strengthen business performance through partnership, competition, and efficiencies; Improve access to suppliers, helping businesses to strengthen their supply chains to get faster access to better components and services; Provide efficient routes to global markets through international gateways by facilitating deliveries to customers and connections to new markets, helping businesses to satisfy and expand their customer base; and Stimulate and support the sustainable development of homes and employment spaces by improving access of workers to employers, improving people’s access to job opportunities, and helping employers to access skilled labour markets. The Strategic Transport Plan provides more detail on how the major roads within the Tees Valley are key to supporting our economic aspirations. The Tees Valley is a polycentric city region with significant movements between the five urban centres and to neighbouring city regions including those of the North East and Leeds. Currently, 87% of Tees Valley residents work within Tees Valley, creating substantial inter- district flows at peak times. The journey to work patterns that sustain the economy of Tees Valley, show 73% of all commuters travelling by car, compared to the average for England of 62%, and car ownership is forecast to rise further. As employment grows, these demands will increase. There are significant freight and logistics traffic flows across Tees Valley serving both local and pan-Northern needs, and this sector is key to realising our economic ambitions. Current DfT projections suggest that the costs of congestion to the freight industry alone could be up to £14 billion in 2040. The Tees Valley does not have the levels of city centre congestion seen in other areas but does have key pinch points of congestion across key freight routes which affect network efficiency and resilience for freight. 4 Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan 2020 Average number of Busiest HGV routes vehicles per day Ranking by HGV traffic All % of Volume Route Section HGVs Vehicles lorries 1 A19 Tees Viaduct 7,439 107,585 7% 2 A66 East of A19/A66 IC 4,705 87,431 5% 3 A19 South of 174 IC 4,362 30,270 14% 4 A19 North of Wynyard IC 4,088 50,395 8% A66 West of Cargo Fleet Lane 5 Roundabout 3,570 47,261 8% Source: Local Traffic Counts Access to international gateways such as the port facilities on the Tees and Teesside International Airport, is key for international trade and therefore for the UK economy, and ports and airports are dependent on the quality of connecting infrastructure. A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found that only 19% of businesses in England believed international transport connections were a barrier to exporting, but that 24% believed the quality of domestic connections were a barrier. Therefore it is clear that the ability of the road network to support growth in the future will be essential to achieving the objectives of the Tees Valley Strategic Transport Plan and the Strategic Economic Plan. As identified above, many vehicle journeys tend to cross local authority boundaries and utilise all types of roads, and so the importance of ensuring a consistent and well performing network across these different local authority areas and organisations is paramount to ensure that the network supports the Tees Valley economy. The two busiest sections of the Tees Valley road network, particularly for freight, are the A19 Tees Viaduct and the A66 east of the Viaduct. The table below highlights the difference in flow on the A1(M) and the A19 at the crossing points of the River Tees, emphasising the relative importance of the A19 for both strategic and local traffic. A1(m)(between J57 & J58) A19 Average number of 39,811 111,866 vehicles per day Trip proportions Internal Tees Valley 0.06% 38% Tees Valley to outside 3% 21% Outside to Tees Valley 3% 20% Passing though Tees 93% 19% Valley Vehicles on routes between the Teesport and Wilton area and the A19 / A689 interchange at Wolviston are experiencing between 30-40 seconds of delay for every kilometre travelled at the AM and PM peaks. Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan 2020 5 Average Delay at Peak Periods (Minutes) Compared with Free Flow Journey Time Journey Delay Delay per Km Peak From To Time (m) Included (m) (sec/km) Period Wolviston Interchange Haverton Hill 16 8 49 AM Haverton Hill Wolviston Interchange 15 7 40 PM Wolviston Interchange Wilton 27 12 37 AM Wolviston Interchange Teesport 27 11 35 AM Teesport Wolviston Interchange 26 11 33 PM Wilton Wolviston Interchange 27 11 33 PM Wolviston Interchange Wilton 26 10 31 PM Wolviston Interchange Teesport 25 10 30 PM In November 2015, the average delay on the Strategic Route Network in England was 9.4 seconds per vehicle mile, which shows the current problem with congestion on the A19 and the A66, before the potential impact of economic growth is even considered. But the Combined Authority and the Tees Valley Local Authorities recognise that for some people and businesses, roads represent more than just an economic artery. More than any other type of transport infrastructure, roads serve a number of purposes and accommodate a number of different modes. Roads are used for people to access jobs, health, leisure, education and retail facilities – they are fundamental to people’s lives. They are used for people to interact with people on a social basis, or as part of the healthcare system. They are also used to move goods around – goods that we buy, goods that we sell, and goods that we make. Within the space allocated for roads, people move around on foot, on bicycles, on motorcycles, on buses, in taxis, in vans and in heavy goods vehicles as well as cars. Unlike the fixed track nature of a rail network, there can be conflicts between all these movements and modes all across the road network, making it a complex and ever-changing network. The road network across the Tees Valley is significant, and this supporting document does not seek to provide a strategy for all of that network. What is does do, however, is recognise that roads will continue to be an essential part of the everyday lives of our residents, workers and visitors, and so there is a need to invest in the maintenance and improvement of the road network in Tees Valley, particularly those elements of the network that are most important to economic and social needs. 6 Tees Valley Roads Implementation Plan 2020 3. A Key Route Network for the Tees Valley Current Road Network Designations In part recognising the wide range of functions that roads serve, and the different demands placed on them, the road network in England is currently organised through three main systems: The strategic road network (SRN); The primary route network (PRN); and A local road network.