Hi David_g - I'm curious - are there things that you think HS2 should have done but didn't with regard to disruption of local routes? I would have thought that some disruption was inevitable?
Couldn't agree more that some disruption is/was inevitable and we have to accept that. And I get the argument that a single extended closure can cause less overall disruption to local traffic than a series of shorter closures plus the effect the options have on contruction work. But the duration of some of the road closures seem excessive and there is a feeling locally that HS2 are taking the piss to put it bluntly.
This is an area of high car ownership which perceives little benefit from HS2. I can try and argue that post HS2 we might see more services stopping at Rugby for journeys north or south or that with a change at Birmingham Interchange or Curzon Street it will be possible to be in Leeds. Manchester or Scotland in a much quicker time than is currently possible but it is difficult to win peple over. And don't even try the argument that it benefits commuters from MK to Euston, Stockport to Manchester or even along the Cov corridor into Birmingham etc. because the reply is along the lines of "so we get all the pain and they get all the gain". I've even tried pointing out to the local Cov City fans that they might find it easier to get to Small Heath as more trains will stop at Tile Hill & Adderley Park
Another local example which has seen more than one three month long road closure over the last couple of years is the Welsh Road West out of Southam. This is a road I use regularly to go to ....err, Wales oddly enough; the site of the north portal of Long Itchington tunnel is off this road, which is where the tunnel boring machine will be launched from. The only visible result of the closures having a
direct impact on the road to date has been the two entrances to the worksite and a mass of tree felling further along where the viaduct will go over the road. Anyone looking at it will think "Three months to do that? Really"
I'm sure I read that the A426 Southam - Leamington road was originally going to have a temporary diversion route built but that plan was ditched in favour of the nine month closure. If that is the case, HS2 haven't done a good job of explaining why this happened and it doesn't play well locally.
Another aspect of HS2 not being seen to minimise the disruption is weekend working: the A361/Welsh Road crossroads I mentioned in my earlier post is on one of my regular cycling routes so if I go that way it will usually be at a weekend. I never saw anyone working there (something I took advantage of on occasion by sneaking through the road closure with the bike). If HS2 want to be seen to be trying to shorten the disruption then not having anyone working for two days out of seven is not a good look. If the weather is decent next weekend I'll take a trip down there and take a couple of photos of the crossroads so people on here can take a look at the location.
And we have barely started yet. For example, from my front windows I can see the worksite at Wormleighton, about five miles away, which has been there about two years now. HS2 crosses the watershed between Thames & Severn here and will be in a shallow cutting with a road bridge over,; there are also some road reroutings involved. It will be a real nuisance if the road in this location is closed both for me (cycling again plus journeys south) and for many others; the track record thus far does not bode well.
What can they do differently? Make best efforts to minimise disruption and be seen to be doing so (weekend working anyone?) Don't take the the easy option (in construction terms) or if they do make a much better job of explaining why option a) is so much better than option b). We're building a new railway for the benefit of the nation/MK/Birmingham/Manchester so you have to suck it up doesn't cut it. As I said in my previous post, I'm in favour of it being built but they are not making it an easy sell round here.
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