Archived decisions

Contact: Brian Millen, tel: 01256 764444

1. Summary

1.1 This report covers the following issues:

(i) Bridge Works Programme 2002/03;

(ii) Intelligent Transport Systems Programme 2002/03;

(iii) North East Hampshire Transport Strategy (NEHTS) schemes; and

(iv) Regeneration of Older Urban Areas Programme.

2. The Bridge Works Programme

2.1 The Bridges Section of the Environment Department is responsible for inspection and maintenance, load assessment and strengthening of all existing county highway structures, together with new structures built as part of road improvements, housing schemes and industrial developments. This includes 1,400 road bridges, 300 footbridges and numerous ancillary structures such as retaining walls and gantries.

2.2 The majority of bridge maintenance and assessment and strengthening is capital funded via the Local Transport Plan (LTP), but inspections, routine maintenance, footbridges and environmental maintenance of subways are revenue funded.

2.3 Bridge maintenance covers regular routine items, such as vegetation and drainage clearance, repairs to accidental damage, major and minor structural maintenance identified from the annual cycle of bridge inspections and environmental maintenance of subways. The latter covers graffiti removal and cleaning under a three year term contract with a firm called Graffiti Solutions. Raynesway Construction Southern Limited carry out the majority of other maintenance, although some specialist or larger jobs go out to tender.

2.4 A programme of load assessment and strengthening was instigated by EU legislation that allowed 40 tonne lorries on British roads from 1 January 1999. The assessments are now complete, and strengthening of sub-standard bridges is ongoing. There remain about 50 bridges subject to interim measures, such as weight limits or monitoring, that will be strengthened over the next five or six years, funding permitting.

2.5 Following the Selby crash in February 2001, parapets and safety fences at road/rail interfaces, mainly bridges, are being evaluated and prioritised with a view to establishing a rolling programme for protective measures.

2.6 There are no major schemes for 2002/03, but consultation and design of improvements to Wharf bridge is underway.

Wharf Bridge, A325 Aldershot

The A325, Farnborough Road, is carried over the Basingstoke Canal by two bridges, one of concrete and one a brick arch. Following concerns over the results of an earlier load assessment of the brick arch by consultants, reassessment is ongoing and it is likely that strengthening of the arch will be needed, as well as refurbishment. Extensive consultations are taking place and the works on site are provisionally programmed for 2003/04, to follow the major roadworks planned for the A325.

3. Intelligent Transport Systems Group Programme

3.1 The Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) group was formed in January 2000 and manages all aspects of traffic control and information systems throughout Hampshire. It is responsible for the policy, research, development, design, implementation and operation of all signals, traffic control and information systems in the county. This includes Pelican, Puffin and Toucan pedestrian and cycle crossings.

3.2 The group is located in Monument House in Winchester which houses the Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system from where it coordinates and controls traffic signals in Winchester, Eastleigh, Havant, Fareham, Gosport and Basingstoke through a central computer. This system not only controls traffic signals but also car parking information, priority facilities for emergency vehicles, and specific priority for other vehicles such as buses. Remote monitoring is used to immediately detect faults in signal equipment in any part of the county, facilitating swift response times.

3.3 The ITS group is also responsible for the operation, management and fault reporting for the traffic control elements of the Area 3 Commission for the Highways Agency. This work extends the area of responsibility for traffic systems management to include high profile sites on the Motorway and Trunk Roads network in the Area 3 Super Agency.

3.4 The Traffic and Travel Information Centre (TTIC) at Monument House is directly linked to the original TTIC in Southampton (ROMANSE project) and it collects, collates and disseminates information in a variety of ways. A number of individual systems have been developed and are currently in operation:

(i) STOPWATCH real-time bus passenger information system;

(ii) Variable Message Signs (VMS);

(iii) TRIPlanner information terminals for pre-trip planning; and

(iv) closed circuit television (CCTV) for network monitoring.

3.5 Traffic and Travel information is passed to the media, Police and motoring organisations as well as being disseminated through the ROMANSE on-line web site (www.romanse.org.uk). Existing systems are being extended and new technologies and systems being researched to ensure an efficient sustainable transport system for Hampshire.

3.6 Already this year a new pelican crossing at Wellington Avenue near Burger King , Aldershot has been switched on, and a further two puffin crossings in Fernhill Road, Cove are scheduled for completion this financial year. The traffic signals at the junction of the A325 Farnborough Road with Boundary Road were refurbished earlier in the year and new toucan crossing facilities added. The refurbishment of the pelican crossing at Sycamore Road on the A325 will be completed in January 2003.

4. North East Hampshire Transport Strategy

4.1 The 2002/03 programme of NEHTS schemes included within the LTP is set out in the attached appendix.

5. Regeneration of Older Urban Areas Programme

5.1 The Regeneration of Older Urban Areas (ROUA) programme is working closely with the Local Transport Plan in developing proposals for North Camp. The ROUA 2001/03 has allocated £200,000 for improvements in this important local centre. Following the completion of a transport study of the shopping area, funded from the LTP programme, sketch design proposals for traffic calming, `gateway' features and a village meeting point were prepared for consultation with the local business group in November 2002 and a wider public consultation is planned for early in the new year. A Project Appraisal for the following work was approved in December:

(i) improvements to Lynchford Road and the adjacent open space, raising the visual quality of the shopping and providing `gateways'/vistas into North camp; and

(ii) improvements to the layout and appearance of pedestrian linkages, taking car parking and traffic calming issues into consideration.

Recommendation

That the report be noted.

7675/CL

APPENDIX

NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE TRANSPORT STRATEGY

CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2002/03 - RUSHMOOR BOROUGH COUNCIL SCHEMES