A40 London Road corridor improvements

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Overview

Where	A40 London Road in High Wycombe: from Abbey Way in the town centre to the M40 J3 roundabout in Loudwater.
When	New technology, pedestrian crossing and public transport enhancements began in September 2018. Junction improvements will begin in autumn 2019 with planned completion by summer 2020.
Summary	The project objectives are to ease congestion, improve journey time reliability, improve air quality, manage the road network during an incident, and unlock economic growth on A40 London Road through a combination of: junction improvements introduction of new technology optimisation of bus lane locations bus stop improvements
Status	Funding was awarded in late 2017 and the design, testing and modelling of options began for junction improvement schemes. Construction for the new traffic technology, pedestrian crossing upgrades, monitoring and communications improvements began in September 2018. Construction for junction improvements is planned to begin in autumn 2019 and finish in summer 2020.
Contact	01296 382416 hitmailbox@buckscc.gov.uk

About the project

The A40 London Road is an important route in the east of High Wycombe with a high volume of traffic on the route which currently causes congestion, particularly during peak times. The number of vehicles using the road is expected to increase in the future, making an already heavily congested route worse.

This project seeks to deliver improvements which will improve journey time reliability, ease congestion and as a result improve air quality.

View the A40 London Road corridor improvement plan.

Funding

Buckinghamshire County Council submitted a funding bid to the Department For Transport’s (DFT) National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) to tackle existing congestion problems and enable economic growth.

The total budget for the scheme is £6.644M made up from:

successful NPIF bid of £4.133 M
Local Transport Board (LTB) funding of £2.511M

Project improvements

The project will deliver a range of improvements along the A40 London Road including the introduction of new technology, junction improvements, bus stop improvements and the optimisation of bus lane locations.

Work has been underway since the funding award to make sure the benefits are realised as soon as possible. This has included installation and preparatory works for a number of new corridor technologies, public transport infrastructure and pedestrian crossing improvements. The following new technologies are planned or have begun:

Upgraded traffic signal equipment at junctions and crossings, allowing signal timings to better adapt to traffic flows and pedestrian demand.
Traffic detectors installed in the road to sense traffic flows and queues, allowing traffic signals to adapt to the traffic conditions.
Permanent Variable Message Signs (VMS) providing information to road users, such as queue times, road closures and parking space availability.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras improving safety, monitoring traffic flows and providing information to help
manage incidents.
Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) units installed at bus stops providing up-to-date public transport information.

To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion, a number of junction upgrades and bus lane changes are also proposed along the A40 London Road.

Gordon Road junction

Changes to traffic lights to make them more responsive to traffic flows, new pedestrian crossing, over-run strip around central traffic island, tactile paving at crossing points, repositioned kerbs.

Gordon Road junction

Hatters Lane junction and approach

Road widening and lane realignment to provide new approach lane for buses and vehicles turning left. New uncontrolled crossing point and relocated bus stop.

Hatters Lane junction and approach

Micklefield Road junction and approach

Road widening and realigned traffic lanes including removal of town-centre-bound bus lane and traffic lanes lengthened. Upgraded pedestrian crossing, traffic islands and new crossing layout, tactile paving at crossing point. New right-turn lane for business estate with extended parking restrictions.

Micklefield Road junction and approach

Gomm Road junction and approaches

Changes to traffic lights to make them more responsive to traffic flows and additional town-centre-bound traffic lane. New town-centre-bound bus lane west of junction, bus lane removal east of junction and relocated bus stop. New right-turn lanes provided for King's Road and Old Coach Drive.

Gomm Road junction and approaches

Gomm Road to Hammersley Lane

Changes to traffic lights to make them more responsive to traffic flows at Hammersley Lane, removal of town-centre-bound bus lane, new Loudwater-bound bus lane, right-turn for local businesses and Ludlow Mews introduced.

Gomm Road to Hammersley Lane

Rayners Avenue junction and approach

Refurbished junction, changes to traffic lights to make them more responsive to traffic flows and removal of town-centre-bound bus lane and new Loudwater-bound bus lane.

Rayners Avenue junction and approach

Project objectives

The combination of these technology improvements, the optimisation of bus lanes, and the junction improvements aim to deliver the main objectives of the project:

ease urban congestion (improve journey time reliability)
unlock economic growth and job creation opportunities
improve air quality
improved ability to manage traffic flows on the A40 when there is an incident on the highway network

Consultation

A consultation period was open from Friday 14 June 2019 to Friday 12 July 2019. Plans for the junction and bus lane proposals were shared with the public for feedback and comments.

A public exhibition event was held on Thursday 20 June at Wycombe District Council offices. Following this consultation, responses are summarised in a report to the Cabinet Member for a decision to proceed with the project.