Last evening, 10th June, a small group of people from Brimpsfield met with two of the Kier representatives, Carolyn Ferguson and Luke Geraghty at the Crusher Visitors Centre. They talked us through Phase 1 that they hope will come into place as from the 29th June, but subject to weather conditions that might push it on a further week if it is inclement.
The new route of Phase 1 will take vehicles heading South onto the new A436 before joining a section of the new A417, and vice-versa heading North.
Phase 1 will have a mandatory 40 mph section throughout its length. Average speed cameras will monitor motorists’ speed. Apparently some 13,000 drivers have been caught contravening the current 40 mph limit.
This temporary arrangement, Phase 1, is scheduled to last for five weeks during which time Kier will link the new A417 at the Air Balloon where it crosses the (old) A417. That same old A417 will be closed and not be re-opened although access to Birdlip from the Cowley junction will take the ‘old’ route via Nettleton Bottom. It is hoped that vehicles will use that route rather than what they perceive to be a quicker route via Brimpsfield!
There will be two lanes traveling up from the Ullenwood junction towards Cirencester with one lane coming down.
They were very self-effacing about this Phase 1 and openly admitted that things (traffic etc.) will get worse before they get better but having taken much advice, Kier believe that this is the best temporary solution.
Some specific questions put to the two representatives were:
1. What is the plan when a truck breaks down on the single lane stretch of the current A417 up from the Shurdington junction to the Air Balloon roundabout? What is the target time to clear such a breakdown?
Response: Whilst there is only one lane for traffic traveling up from Shurdington there will be a further (emergency) lane where they will have a permanent breakdown team positioned pulling broken down vehicles etc. into that lane to keep traffic moving
2. At the Air Balloon roundabout, the traffic up the hill is controlled by traffic lights but not the traffic coming down, which will therefore always have priority even when the traffic lights for upcoming traffic are green. Is this safe?
Response: The traffic light phase will be brief and will also apply to traffic coming down the hill from Cirencester wishing to travel to Leckhampton or onto the existing A436 to Seven Springs. This should slow the flow of traffic meeting those traveling up from Shurdington.
3. Currently diversion signs appear to be scattered randomly around the area, presumably reflecting diversions of the past. Will there be a tidy up of route signage when Phase 1 starts? Will the route through Birdlip to the A417 and on to the Cowley junction be clearly signed to encourage drivers to use this route rather than coming through Brimpsfield?
Response: Kier will look at existing signage including the current weight limit sign between the A417 and Birdlip, (that they were informed had been vandalised and could not be read). All current diversion signs will be removed ahead of Phase 2 in 5 weeks’ time. After some significant representation from members of the Brimpsfield group they said they would ‘look at’ additional signage in an effort to ‘dissuade’ rat-runners from driving through the village.
Google Maps etc. will be updated to direct motorists accordingly during Phase 1.
Traffic flow and any problems will be monitored at their Monitoring Centre.
Other useful snippets are that whilst the cost of the project is approx. £460 million there is a contingency taking the sum up to a possible £550 million to allow for inflation etc.
They have planted 136,000 trees, but lost (and replaced) 15% of those due to the severe dry weather conditions last summer. They have since improved their irrigation systems for these trees.