Project news

What’s going on now?

The current feasibility work is helping us to identify, define and investigate our options for delivery. Further consultation will help inform this feasibility work which will enable us to identify our 'preferred', 'next best' and 'low cost' options for the Eastern Corridor High Quality Public Transport (HQPT) major scheme. We will work closely with the public to obtain their views on our proposals and make sure that only the most appropriate schemes are considered.

Once our options are identified we will undertake more detailed assessments along with further consultation. This will include more detailed environmental work, including noise, air quality, ecology, water, archaeology and landscape assessments.

We will complete detailed designs for the scheme, ensuring that our proposals are realistic and so enabling us to accurately predict construction costs.

Traffic modelling is also taking place to assess the likely operation of the scheme, give us confidence that the proposals are in the interest of the city and offer good value for money to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Consultation

The Phase 1 Eastern Corridor Major Scheme consultation is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who provided us with comments and suggestions. These will now be analysed and will help us to develop the scheme further.

For more information please visit our Phase 1 public consultation page.

Community Infrastructure Fund Bid

In July 2008 Plymouth was short listed for £9.5million to improve transport in the East End area of the city.

The Council submitted a bid to the Department for Transport and the Department of Communities and Local Government in April 2008 for a share of the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF). This is designed to support the transport infrastructure costs required to enable faster housing development in areas identified for a substantial growth in the population.

Plymouth's bid is one of four in the South West to be short-listed including two schemes in Exeter and one in Swindon; worth a total of £17.4m should all four bids be successful.

The CIF bid forms part of the wider Eastern Corridor Scheme currently being consulted on. This provides options for managing the increased traffic along the 'Eastern Corridor'expected to be generated by the significant developments proposed at Langage, Sherford and Plymstock Quarry. The Eastern Corridor includes the main routes into the city from Plymstock over Laira Bridge and through the East End. If the CIF bid is successful, construction of the East End part of the scheme will be brought forward to 2010/2011 and will be delivered before the Eastern Corridor developments are built.

Transport improvements for the East End could include:

• Widening of Gdynia Way to provide an additional lane to flow in the Eastbound (opposite) direction and future option for tidal flow operation (similar to that used at the Tamar Bridge) to maximise the efficiency of road space
• Re-routing of cycle lane facilities to provide a more direct and safer route
• Relocation of Marsh Mills bound traffic from Embankment Road onto the new capacity on Gdynia Way
• Plymstock bound traffic from Marsh Mills relocated from Hele’s Terrace to a new link on Embankment Lane
• Creation of a new public transport priority route between Cattedown Roundabout, continuing along Laira Bridge Road to Hele’s Terrace
• Public transport and local traffic only link on Embankment Road between Florence Place and Lucas Terrace with a bus gate at Hele’s Terrace
• Improvements to the public realm along Embankment Road
• Improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities at Hele’s Terrace
• Improvements in local highway safety for Prince Rock School
• Improvements to air quality, noise, road safety and congestion along Embankment Road

A detailed business case will be produced as part of the next round of the bidding process by October 2008. We will find out if we have been successful by February 2009.

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