Public consultation starts for plans to tackle congestion and improve safety at A19 / A1058 Coast Road Junction
A thirteen week public consultation into plans to reduce congestion and improve safety at the A19 / A1058 Coast Road Junction, Northumberland, starts today, 19 November 2009.
A public exhibition with details of three recommended options for improvements is being held so that those affected including local residents, businesses and road users can view the suggested options, ask Highways Agency staff questions and give feedback.
Public exhibitions will take place at Cobalt Business Exchange on:
* Friday 27 November – 2.00pm to 8.00pm
* Saturday 28 November – 10.00am to 4.00pm
The Agency’s ‘preferred option’ (blue option) is to place the A19 traffic below the Coast Road junction in a cutting. This would provide a free flowing link for through-traffic. This option would involve the construction of two bridges to carry the roundabout carriageway over the lowered A19 and a replacement bridge structure to support the A1058 Coast Road across the junction. Access both to and from the junction to the lowered A19 carriageway would be via new slip roads. The Agency believes that it offers best value for money, has the shortest anticipated construction period and will have the lowest impact on the environment.
The other two recommended options under consideration are the Red option which is similar to the Blue option but would enclose the A19 in a tunnel underneath the Coast Road and the Brown option which would take the A19 above the existing Coast Road flyover via a new A19 flyover.
Descriptions of three non-recommended options will also be made available as part of the public consultation.
Alan Duckworth, project manager for the Highways Agency, said:
“With approximately 69,000 vehicles per day travelling this junction, the proposals for the A19 Coast Road junction are important as we need to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and enhance safety at this key location. We are making the various options open for public consultation and we are encouraging people to tell us what they think. We welcome people’s views and will consider them carefully as they will inform the further development of the scheme.
“If anyone is unable to get to the public exhibitions details of the proposals together with a questionnaire, for people to complete and send back to us, are available on Highways Agency web site
“The scheme is in the early stages of development with construction planned to start in December 2014, subject to the successful completion of statutory processes and funding.”
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