| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:high street flooded | |
| Posted by: | Chris Calvi-Freeman | |
| Date/Time: | 03/02/12 18:18:00 |
| It’s not general Council policy for officers to post on these websites so I’m afraid I cannot enter into ongoing debates. I’ll therefore try to address some of the points made by others this afternoon, but must then withdraw. The works between Goat Wharf and Dock Road are proceeding in a well-managed fashion. If peak-hour road users see little activity when they drive past, this is most likely to be because the Borough generally limits on-carriageway working to off-peak periods to try to reduce disruption to road users. It’s a bit like train passengers complaining that the railway workers are leaning on their shovels when the train passes - they’re leaning on their shovels so that the train can pass!!! In fact the contractors generally work on the footways in peak hours and in the carriageways in the off-peak. When dealing with carriageway works (including road widening) that involves relocation of utility apparatus (gas mains, fibre optic cables etc), the process is often quite drawn out. While there is a very detailed process of checking of records and calculating the likely costs and timeframes for the diversions, many of the buried services are quite old. Even though radar surveys are undertaken and trial holes excavated, the utilities cannot always be absolutely sure of the location, depth and condition of their various services until the site is completely opened up. Then each utility has to mobilise in turn, to relocate or protect the various services. This process is taking place at the moment opposite the County Court, where we are widening the carriageway and eliminating the pinch point, having negotiated the purchase of a small piece of land from Heidelberg. If passers-by saw a large group of people in high viz jackets looking into this excavation last Friday, they may have concluded this was bunch of people with time on their hands, however each person there was a representative of a specific utility, or the Council and its contractors, and each had a role in planning this work so that it will hopefully be completed as efficiently as possible. (Of course the tall good looking one there as me!) We now have a game plan for this site and each utility has been allocated a timeslot to undertake their work before our contractor fills in the excavation. I hope that this helps to clear up some of the misconceptions by people who think that this sort of work is random or unmanaged. Careful records are always taken and lessons learnt so that problems can be avoided next time, but sometimes there are impediments outside of anyone’s reasonable control, such as the need to manufacture a bespoke replacement part. Sometimes, excavations are apparently unattended but barriered off simply because the concrete sub-base of the road is curing. And sometimes people’s memories can play tricks on them, when they imagine “12 months of chaos” at a particular site! The Council is not responsible for the management and maintenance of the A4 and other red routes, - these are with TfL. But both parties always try to ensure that roadworks on borough and TfL roads are coordinated. In the case of the lane closures along the A4 in recent weeks (for planned footway works), the signage was of course erected before the water main burst, and we have asked TfL to stand these works down until the High Street has reopened. The resurfacing on High Street between Goat Wharf and Commerce Road will mainly be night work, so as to minimise traffic disruption, with the noisiest elements of this work completed each night by 11pm to minimise disturbance to local residents. The utility companies are all notified several months in advance before resurfacing takes place to give them the chance to get in first if they need to do any planned work, and prohibiting them from doing any non-emergency work for two years after the resurfacing. And yes, this evening the congestion is horrible. Friday nights are always the worst, but never helped by a key route blocked by a burst water main. Chris Calvi-Freeman Head of Transport London Borough of Hounslow |