M60 JETTS
The M60 Junctions Eighteen to Twelve Transportation Study (January 2002)
In April 2001, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, now the Department for Transport (DfT), commissioned a consortium of consultants to undertake the M60 Junctions Eighteen to Twelve Transport Study (M60 JETTS). The study was undertaken in 2 phases.
Ü Phase 1, comprised extensive consultations and surveys to assist the identification and understanding of the problems on the M60 (J18-12).
Ü Phase 2 comprised the assembly and assessment of a preferred strategy.
The work has culminated in the recommendation of a preferred strategy. It describes the study process and the preferred strategy. It includes a detailed appraisal of the strategy, based on the Government’s Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies (GOMMMS) [webtag+1.2.1].
The study was guided throughout by a Steering Group comprising representatives of local authorities and other key transport or planning organisations with an interest in the M60 (Junctions18 to12).
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES agreed by the Steering Group were to assess the transport pressures in the M60 (Junctions 18 to 12) corridor and identify solutions to keep traffic moving; and that any proposal should not have unacceptable impacts on the local road network, the communities that it passes through, or the environment. There were a number of secondary objectives.
THE PREFERRED STRATEGY, presented to the NWRA in January 2003 and published by the DfT in July 2003 combines cost-effective measures aimed at:
• encouraging as many M60 (J18-12) travellers as possible to use public transport instead of car, by public transport improvements that will build on the existing programme of public transport investment in Greater Manchester;
• managing long term traffic growth through road user charging and other measures; and
• highway improvements providing segregated lanes to improve conditions for long distance through traffic on the M60 (J18-12), reducing lane changing traffic and therefore improving safety for local traffic and improving journey time reliability. The main elements of the strategy are shown in the attached figure.
(This would include a 4th lane anti-clockwise M60 (J15-J13), contained within the existing highways boundaries).
The construction costs (at 2002 prices) would be: £226.7M of highways works, £39.6M of public transport measures and £1.3M of other measures. A total of £267.6M at 2002 prices.
NORTH WEST REGIONAL ASSEMBLY MINUTES EXTRACT
At its meeting on 13 March 2003, the Planning Environment and Transport Key Priority Group agreed to advise Policy Committee to endorse the following recommendations:
The Secretary of State for Transport be informed of the North West Regional Assembly’s support for the principles of the recommended strategy as set out in the M60 JETTS (Junction 18 to 12) Transport Study Final Report, subject to
1. The Secretary of State be asked to give high priority to delivery of the public transport and behavioural elements the Strategy,
2. Funding also needs to be provided for the implementation of the recommendations of the Greater Manchester Strategic Rail Study as advocated by the Study Consultants;
3. Wherever possible, implementation of the segregated lanes should be achieved without increasing capacity for short distance movements;
4. With the exception of the new slip roads at Junction 12, there should be a presumption against works requiring land-take outwith the existing highway boundary;
5. In addition to capital expenditure, the Government needs to make provision to fund those measures requiring revenue support; and
6. All of the public transport and softer measures identified within the Study need to be delivered, together with a significant step-change in public transport investment in the study area and across the sub-region as a whole by 2011, as a precursor to any introduction of area-wide congestion charging post 2011.