Pointless Road Improvement
Discussion
I've just had a leaflet through the door from the local council alerting me to some new roadworks on a local road.
There are two bridges less than 100m apart. One is over a small river and one is over a bit of railway used for a steam train museum. Both bridges are single track. The railway bridge is grade 2 listed and controlled by traffic lights, the road bridge simply requires traffic on one direction to give way.
From above:

Railway bridge:

River bridge:

The leaflet says that they are going to widen the river bridge to two lanes and do some maintenance on the rail bridge.
As a result, the road will be closed for 32 weeks. Now, it's going to be a minor inconvenience for us, we go that way to the gym three or four times a week but there is a diversion which is slower but not much further and in any case we will be cycling there by a foot/cycle path once the nights draw out a bit, but what the hell is a 32 week long programme of work going to cost? And what is the point of spending money widening a bridge to two lanes when it goes back to one lane less than 100m further on? I thought we were strapped for cash?
There are two bridges less than 100m apart. One is over a small river and one is over a bit of railway used for a steam train museum. Both bridges are single track. The railway bridge is grade 2 listed and controlled by traffic lights, the road bridge simply requires traffic on one direction to give way.
From above:

Railway bridge:

River bridge:

The leaflet says that they are going to widen the river bridge to two lanes and do some maintenance on the rail bridge.
As a result, the road will be closed for 32 weeks. Now, it's going to be a minor inconvenience for us, we go that way to the gym three or four times a week but there is a diversion which is slower but not much further and in any case we will be cycling there by a foot/cycle path once the nights draw out a bit, but what the hell is a 32 week long programme of work going to cost? And what is the point of spending money widening a bridge to two lanes when it goes back to one lane less than 100m further on? I thought we were strapped for cash?
Local Authority Highways Department hasn't spent all their bugdet for 2011/2012 fiscal year.
As long as they get approval from the appropriate Committee by close of business on 5th April, job jobbed.
Recognised those pictures immediately. That's the Swindon & Cricklade railway. A mate of mine is one of the volunteers who keep it going.
As long as they get approval from the appropriate Committee by close of business on 5th April, job jobbed.
Recognised those pictures immediately. That's the Swindon & Cricklade railway. A mate of mine is one of the volunteers who keep it going.
Edited by Red Devil on Friday 30th March 18:36
otolith said:
Never seems to occur to government that perhaps unspent budget could be used to discount the following year's council tax...
My dear chap, you want to undo centuries of hallowed tradition and procedure? You will give all the Treasury apparatchiks heart failure. The country will be brought to its knees.Oh, wait.....
As a highway engineer for a local authority I can pretty much assure you that this isn’t a spend money at the end of the year type scheme. The amount of prep work / consultation / risk assessment / etc to work on a structure let alone one over a river would have been huge.
Chances are it was probably planned for earlier in the year but the preparation has taken longer than imagined hence the late start (Or very early start in the new financial year)
Chances are it was probably planned for earlier in the year but the preparation has taken longer than imagined hence the late start (Or very early start in the new financial year)
Has anyone thought of actually asking the authority the reason(s) for the scheme? For example, the bridge may have failed a safety inspection and so needs strengthening. While that work is going on it may have made economic sense to widen at the same time.
Most highway authorities are strapped for cash so the Engineers spend a lot of time and effort in prioritising the many schemes they have. However, any scheme list usually has to go in front of a Highway Committee, which is populated by politicians with their own agendas, so pet schemes sometimes get pushed to the front.
Most highway authorities are strapped for cash so the Engineers spend a lot of time and effort in prioritising the many schemes they have. However, any scheme list usually has to go in front of a Highway Committee, which is populated by politicians with their own agendas, so pet schemes sometimes get pushed to the front.
Edited by stevebroad on Saturday 7th April 23:55
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