Tuesday 11:39
- £1 BILLION SOLUTION SUGGESTED TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT
After two year's work, transport consultants Jacobs Consultancy will present the results of the West to East Midlands (W2EM) Multi Modal Study on Monday, 28 July.
It is recommending a strategy costing £1 billion aimed at providing new infrastructure, improving public transport and reducing congestion in an area bounded by the A38 to the west, M1 to the east and the M69 and M6 to the south.
The package includes: - Upgrading the A42 to motorway status and widening the M42 between J6 and J11; - Improving a number of junctions, with highway widening, on the A5 between the M69 and M42; - Widening the A453 between M1 J23a and the A42 to accommodate growth at East Midlands Airport; - Construction of an A38-A444-A511 Link Road to enhance connectivity and improve safety, including a new crossing over the River Trent to ease congestion on routes out of Burton-upon-Trent towards the A38 and the south; - Widening the A38(T) between Hilliards Cross and Streethay and the A38 north and south of Burton-upon-Trent; - Capacity improvements at the A38/A5148 junction and grade separation of the A38 north/south movements at the A38/A453 Bassett's Pole junction to reduce congestion; and - Better public transport access to airports, including construction of a passenger interchange station at Coleshill, on the Birmingham-Leicester line, with a quarter hourly rail/bus link from Coleshill to Birmingham International Airport, and hourly services to Nottingham, Loughborough and Derby via East Midlands Airport, and Burton-upon-Trent via Tamworth, along with an hourly bus link from Leicester to Burton-upon-Trent.
The consultants have also recommended that local authorities give consideration to a number of supporting highway improvements, public transport and behavioural change measures, such as park and ride investment, station upgrades, an express bus service between Fradley and Lichfield, an extension to Alvaston bypass, through traffic management on the A5 from Cannock to the A38 and emergency only access to Burton Hospital directly off the A38. Green travel measures are also being proposed including multi transport smart card ticketing, safe routes to schools, travel plans, health and lifestyle campaigns and improvements to walking and cycling facilities.
Peter Gross, Jacobs' Project Manager for the study, said:
"We have considered the future of transport across the study area for the next 30 years. Road, rail, buses, walking and cycling all have a role in satisfying the future demand for movement of people and goods. Our recommendation, coupled with a significant change in travel behaviour, will provide a solution to the current and future transport problems for travel in the area."
The study, commissioned by the Government Offices for the East and West Midlands, has been managed by a broad-based Project Management Group of regional partners including local authorities, transport operators, environmental groups and regional development agencies, together with the Highways Agency and Strategic Rail Authority.
Will Wiseman, Head of Transport at the Government Office for the East Midlands, said: "The study has been truly multi modal and looked at all forms of transport within the area. It has recognised that road congestion causes environmental and safety problems and needs to be addressed. I would like to thank all the partner organisations, both in the East and West Midlands, who have contributed so much throughout the study."
The report now goes forward to the West and East Midlands Regional Assemblies, which will consult on it within the region and consider how its proposals link to Regional Planning Guidance. Key organisations, stakeholders or the public who want to make the Regional Assemblies aware of their views should send them in time for the Assemblies to present their conclusions to Ministers by early November 2003. It will then be for Ministers to decide, in the light of that advice, how to respond to the recommendations.
Notes to editors
1. The study region is bounded by a network of key roads - the A38 (T) between Birmingham and Junction 28 of the M1, the M1 between junctions 28 and 21, the M69, and the M6 between junctions 2 and 5. It includes major urban areas such as Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham.
2. Background information and a map of the study area can be found at the official study website: http://www.w2em-multimodalstudy.co.uk
Issued on behalf of the Department for Transport by Government News Network, West Midlands. Media enquiries to Filippa St Aubin d'Ancey / Annie Harris on 0121 626 2036 / 2038. Regional news releases issued by the Government News Network can be viewed at http://www.gnn.gov.uk/gnn
