Contact: Colin Taylor, tel 01730 266411 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report details the programmes for:

(i) Street Lighting;

(ii) Country Towns Initiative;

(iii) Bridgeworks;

(iv) Intelligent Transport Systems; and

(v) Development Related Works.

2. Street Lighting

Maintenance Contract 2002/07

2.1 The maintenance contract continues to provide over 99% of all street lights on at any one time with performance levels improving since the change from "calendar" to "working days". It is not possible to be more precise at present due to the commissioning time for the new computer system.

2.2 The partnership arrangement has now been in place for six months and there have been some changes to the assessment of the contractor's performance, such as changing the method of time measurement from `calendar' to `working' days. The new arrangements have split the original Street Lighting Team into two new groups with the Contract Delivery Team located mainly at Cosham working alongside the Contractor and the Corporate Management Team at Winchester dealing with public interface, probity and audit, as well as the management of the Community Safety Initiative, new works and the Column Replacement Programme.

Column Replacement Programme 2005/06

2.3 A £1.8 million programme of work is planned for 2005/06 and commenced in late March 2005. There were no programmed schemes for the Winchester area for 2005/06.

Community Safety Initiative 2005/06

2.4 The programme for 2005/06 is as follows:

Park Road, Denmead,

Elizabeth Close, Wickham,

School Road, Wickham,

Nations Hill, Kings Worthy,

Fryers Close footpath, Kings Worthy, and

St Georges Square, Bishop's Waltham.

Energy

2.5 Following the start of the new supply contract in April 2004, consumption has tended to rise at a slightly higher rate than expected but still within budget. The main problem facing the County Council is, however, the prospective increase of 70% plus in energy costs in April 2006 when a new supply contract will be required.

New Computer System

2.6 The new street lighting computer management system Deadsure, designed to monitor the street lighting maintenance contract, became operational on 10 February 2005. The new system was required as the previous system SLIMs, was mainframe-based and the mainframe was switched off at the end of March 2005. There are still a number of problems to resolve, particularly as regards data and reports, but the inclusion of the street lighting GIS database and the expectation of the web browser and mobile field based operational returns make this an innovative system for the future.

3. Country Towns Initiative

Swanmore

3.1 The initiative in Swanmore is centred around the primary school and Church Road junction. It is envisaged that the earliest start date is likely to be the 4^th quarter of 2005/06 financial year.

4. Bridgeworks

4.1 The Bridges Section of the Environment Department is responsible for all existing county highway structures, together with new structures built as part of road works, housing and industrial schemes. This covers inspection, maintenance, replacement, load assessment and strengthening.

4.2 Raynesway Construction Southern (RCS) carry out most maintenance through a term contract. Some specialist works such as graffiti removal and larger schemes such as bridge replacements are awarded by tender.

Funding

4.3 Most work on bridges is capital funded via the Local Transport Plan (LTP), but inspections, routine maintenance and environmental maintenance of subways are revenue funded.

Load assessment and strengthening

4.4 This programme was brought about by EU legislation that allowed 40 tonne lorries on UK roads from 1 January 1999. The assessments are now complete and strengthening of substandard bridges is ongoing.

Road/rail interfaces

4.5 Following the Selby crash in February 2001, parapets and safety fences at road/rail interfaces, most of which are bridges, have been prioritised. A rolling programme for protective measures has been started, that will continue over several years, as funding is made available.

Aluminium parapets

4.6 The Highways Agency has identified that aluminium vehicle parapets made by BACO and installed before 1994 are not to current standards. All such parapets on county bridges were prioritised and RCS completed a contract for their replacement to between September 2004 and April 2005. Three bridges in East Hampshire, Eastleigh and Rushmoor, were omitted from this contract for operational reasons and were carried over to 2005/06. Details for individual bridges are given below.

Winchester Bridgeworks Programme

Curdridge and Kitnocks bridge, Curdridge - Drove Lane bridge, Alresford

4.7 Curdridge and Kitnocks bridges carry the A334, Kitnocks Hill, over tributaries of the River Hamble at Curdridge. Drove Lane bridge carries the U184, Drove Lane, over the River Alre at Alresford.

4.8 BDS Technology Limited found scour damage to all three bridges during recent diver inspections and will be repairing this during September and October 2005. The work will be carried out from under the bridges and from adjacent fields, so traffic disruption will be minimal.

Mayles Lane culvert, Wickham

4.9 This culvert carries a footpath over a tributary of the River Meon opposite Mayles Lane adjacent to the A334, Fareham Road, Wickham. The brickwork at the west end of the culvert has been undercut and will be replaced with a precast concrete pipe and new brick headwall. RCS will be carrying out the repairs and hope to start in October 2005. The work will need single lane traffic controlled by temporary signals on the A334. Further details will follow as they are finalised.

Old Alresford culvert, Alresford

4.10 This culvert carries the B3046, The Soke, over the River Alre at the north end of Alresford Pond. The existing steel deck has severe corrosion and will be replaced with a precast concrete culvert. Design and land negotiations are underway and it is expected construction will start in summer 2006. Further details will follow as they are finalised.

Maddoxford bridge, Boorlev Green

4.11 This bridge carries the U198, Maddoxford Lane over Ford Lake between Boorley Green and Curdridge. It was substandard for load carrying and has been strengthened by Cintec Limited between February and March 2005.

Garnier No.1 bridge, Winchester

4.12 This bridge which carries Garnier Road over a branch of the River Itchen was severely corroded and was over-spanned by a temporary structure. Because it was the main access to the old Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), construction took place between February and April 2005, after the opening of the new HWRC at Bar End, in December 2004.

Bowlake No.1 bridge, Stoke Common

4.13 This bridge carries the C117, Bishopstoke Lane over Bow Lake between Bishopstoke and Brambridge. The old reinforced concrete arch was in very poor condition with severe corrosion and has been replaced with a new brick arch. Mildren Construction carried out the work between March and June 2005.

Ludwells bridge, Waltham Chase

4.14 This bridge carries the C118, Lower Chase Road over a tributary of the River Hamble between Waltham Chase and Swanmore. It is substandard for load carrying and a contract for a replacement bridge has just been awarded to Trants Limited. They started on-site in July and are due to finish in November 2005. The road is closed during the work, with a signed diversion for vehicles and a shorter diversion for pedestrians.

Micheldever Station railway bridge, Micheldever

4.15 This bridge carries the C19, Andover Road, over the Southampton/Waterloo railway line just south of Micheldever Station and has high priority for safety measures. A feasibility study has been completed and the chosen option is single lane traffic controlled by signals, together with extra kerbing. This will keep vehicles away from the bridge parapets and reduce traffic speeds. The road will be closed during the work, with a signed diversion, which is expected to take place in September/October 2005.

Aluminium parapets, Programme 2005/06

4.16 Between September 2004 and January 2005 RCS replaced the parapets on five bridges on the A31 Alresford and Bishop's Sutton Bypass and on Ridgeway subway, Badger Farm, Winchester. Replacement of the parapets on Battery subway under the A3090, Badger Farm Road, Winchester have been deferred until the junction layout at Oliver's Battery Road/Badger Farm Road has been resolved.

5. Intelligent Transport Systems Group (ITS)

5.1 The ITS Group of the Environment Department manages the feasibility, design, implementation, operation and maintenance of traffic control and traffic and travel information systems throughout Hampshire. Further responsibility now sits with the ITS group for the monitoring of, and improvement to, the operation of the highway network, as a result of the Traffic Management Act.

5.2 The Executive Member for Environment approved expenditure of £200,000, in the 2005/06 Transport Capital Programme, for extending the implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Hampshire. Buses operating in the Eastleigh area will be fitted with Automatic Vehicle Location technology so that they can be tracked and incorporated into the county-wide real-time passenger information system (STOPWATCH). The funding will also allow Hampshire and Portsmouth Real-Time Information (RTI) systems to be integrated, allowing bus data and information exchange and the provision of real-time information on services in Havant, Gosport and Fareham. This information will be provided on electronic displays at bus stops and via the internet and mobile phones.

5.3 The continuing development of the Hampshire Traffic and Travel Information Centre (TTIC) in Winchester has enabled a number of systems to be deployed and operated in Hampshire. Collectively these applications help provide improved traffic and travel information and contribute to the delivery of the County Council's transport policies. The provision of timely and accurate information can help reduce congestion, manage incidents and improve accessibility. The funding will allow further improvement to the central systems in the TTIC, enhancing information collection and outputs. The work will also provide the basis for developing tailored and personalised journey planning and travel information.

5.4 Progress on schemes during 2005/06 within Winchester are contained in other papers presented at this panel.

6. Development Related Works

6.1 Section 38 Development work currently being undertaken by Hampshire Highways within the Winchester area is detailed in Appendix 1.

7. External Funding

7.1 External funding, schemes relevant to that funding and controlled by the County Council's Development Control section are detailed in Appendix 2.

8. Impact Assessments

8.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has not been undertaken.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

586/CT

APPENDIX 1

Section 38 Development work currently being undertaken by Hampshire Highways in Winchester