Roads Service

A2 Shore Road Greenisland

Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

APPENDIX 4.3
New Rural Road Capacity Check
This appendix shows the assessment of a new rural road inland of the defined bottleneck to
determine whether various types and cross-sections of rural road would adequately cope with
the predicted flows along this bypass route. The route would have a junction where it leaves
the existing A2 Shore Road at its northern end, a junction at the university entrance and a
junction where it rejoins the A2 Shore Road.
It is intended that the new road would have no direct access and generally no bus stops. By
definition, it would be a free flowing road away from junctions though it is intended that it
would have a 50mph speed limit and be designed accordingly.
For the purposes of this assessment, it has been assumed that a single cross-section would be
employed along the length of the scheme. Therefore the assessment is based on the predicted
peak hour flows for the busier link from Shore Road to the university junction. Within the
assessment therefore, the major link from the north end junction to the university junction
would have additional capacity in hand.
The rural road design is based on predicted AADT flows at the opening year, 2010 in this
case. The findings are as follows.
As a dual carriageway
It would be adequate for the anticipated flows with dual 7.3m carriageways.
As a single carriageway
It would not be adequate for the anticipated flows with a wide single carriageway.
The above is based on achieving free flow conditions at all times of the day. A further test
was undertaken which recognises that there is a congestion reference flow (CRF), which is a
maximum acceptable AADT given the local circumstances and traffic flow conditions, at
which there would be congestion during the peak hours and not free flow conditions. The
results were as follows.
CRF for a dual carriageway
The CRF indicates that a dual carriageway would have spare capacity to deal with congested
peak hour flows.
As a single carriageway
The CRF indicates that a standard wide single carriageway would not have the capacity to
deal with even congested peak hour flows.

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

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Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

New Rural Road Capacity Check

Basis of check
TA 46/97 TRAFFIC FLOW RANGES FOR USE IN THE ASSESSMENT OF NEW RURAL
ROADS
Road characteristics new inland route
The road would commence at a new at-grade junction on the A2 Shore Road at the end of the
existing dual carriageway north of the defined bottleneck. The existing dual carriageway is
subject to a 50mph speed limit and it is intended that the new road would also have that speed
restriction, and be designed accordingly.
There would be an at-grade junction near the university barrier entrance and the existing
Shore Avenue would be reconstructed as a dual carriageway to an upgraded (at-grade)
junction with the A2 Shore Road. From there it would continue southwards along the
existing Shore Road, as a 4-lane urban road.
For the purposes of this assessment, it is intended that the new road would pass beneath
Station Road Greenisland and there would be no junction. Pedestrians and cyclists would
therefore be able to continue walking along Station Road without interruption.
It is not expected that other than express buses would use the new road, though there might be
a call for some to stop near the university entrance. These would be placed in laybys.
It is intended that there would be no pedestrian facilities along the route. However, further to
the above comment, formal at-grade pedestrian crossings may be required at the university
entrance.
Only express buses would use the road, others would use existing Shore Road.
Assessment against Table 2.1 Opening Year Economic Flow Ranges
The table gives an indication of the range of daily flows over which each carriageway
standard ( of those listed) is likely to be economically justified. For assessment purposes the
annual average daily traffic (AADT) flows are those at the year of opening, allowance is
made for growth in the table. The two most likely contenders are as follows:
Minimum AADT
Wide 2-lane Single Carriageway (WS2)
6,000
Dual 2-lane All Purpose Carriageway (D2AP) 11,000

Maximum AADT
21,000
39,000

The existing daily flows to the north of the scheme, gained from continuous counter
information, is around 26,000AADT, this would be expected to increase by the year 2010.
The existing daily flows to the south of the scheme, gained from an occasional-use counter
information, is around 35,000AADT, this would be expected to increase by the year 2010.
For reasonably free flow conditions a dual 2-lane carriageway will be required.
A further check on peak hour flow capability follows.

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

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Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

New Rural Road Capacity Check

Congestion Reference Flow (CRF)
Where predicted flows are marginal to a chosen road type, a further check can be made that
determines the CRF. The Congestion Reference Flow of a link is defined as the Annual
Average Daily Flow (AADT) at which the carriageway is likely to be congested in the peak
periods on an average day.
The AADT arising from this calculation of the CRF would be expected to be higher than the
maximum AADT given in Table 2.1. Ideally a rural road would be free flowing at all times
and the values in Table 2.1 are intended to achieve that situation. However, for cost or other
reasons it might be acceptable to have free flowing traffic for most of the day only and
relatively congested flows in the peak periods. This situation is more likely to be acceptable
where the road is carrying commuter traffic on the edge of an urban area, as in this case.
The CRF represents the AADT that could be used for design purposes if that peak period
congestion is acceptable. The CRF is given by: (See Annex D of TA 46/97 or copy attached)
CRF = CAPACITY * NL * Wf * 100/PkF * 100PkD *AADT/AAWT
CAPACITY

Maximum output per lane

Dual c/way

=
=
=

2100 20 * %HGVs
2100 20* 5
2000vph

from examination of counter data, < 5%

Single c/way

=
=
=

1380 15 * %HGVs
1380 15* 5
1305vph

from examination of counter data, < 5%

NL

number of lanes per direction

Dual c/way
Single c/way

NL = 2
NL = 1 (by definition a rural single c/way can only have 1 lane)

Wf Width factor
( this takes account of whether lane widths are narrower or wider than the standard 3.65m)
( carriageway widths exclude any hard strips)
Dual c/way

=
=
=

Cway width / (Number of lanes * 3.65)

7.3m / (2 * 3.65)
1

Single c/way

=
=
=

(0.171 * Cway width)

(0.171 * 10)
1.46

0.25
- 0.25

NB the single carriageway would be a WS2, which is 10m plus 2no. 1m hardstrips. There is
no standard single carriageway wider than this, but if a hypothetical 14m wide carriageway
was considered (12m + 2 * 1m), the Wf value would be 1.8. That carriageway could be set
out as 4 no. 3m lanes plus 2no. 1m strips, or 4no. 3.5m lanes, or similar.

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005

Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

New Rural Road Capacity Check

PkF

proportion of 2-way daily flow that occurs in the peak hour

From continuous counter data, typical values taken from 5-day flows (ie. weekdays) for the
morning peak period were:
north of scheme
2215 / 26536 =
8.4%
south of scheme
3058 / 35480 =
8.6%
Use PkF as 8.5%
PkD the directional split (percentage) of peak hour flow
From predicted peak hour flows in the morning peak of 2100vph s/b and 900vph n/b
=
2100 /3000
=
0.7 (70%)
Use PkD as 70%
AADT / AAWT annual average daily traffic flow / annual average weekday flow
From continuous counter data, typical values taken:
north of scheme

s/b
n/b

12016 / 12859 =
12793 / 13677 =

0.935
0.935

south of scheme

s/b
n/b

16667 / 18415 =
15667 / 17065 =

0.905
0.918

Use PkD as 0.91

CRF calculation
Dual c/way

=
=

2000 * 2 * 1.00 * 100/8.5 * 100/70 * 0.91

61,213

Single c/way (12m)

=
=

1305 * 1 * 1.46 * 100/8.5 * 100/70 * 0.91

28,558

Single c/way (14m)

=
=

1305 * 1 * 1.80 * 100/8.5 * 100/70 * 0.91

35,947

Given that these are not precise calculations, the results for the situation at Greenisland are as
follows:
A dual 2-lane carriageway would be acceptable up to a starting year flow of 61,000 AADT
and this is well below predicted flows.
A wide single carriageway WS2 would be acceptable up to a starting year flow of
28,500vph AADT but that is below predicted flows.
The hypothetical single carriageway with a 14m carriageway would according to the
calculation be acceptable up to a starting year flow of 36,000vph. This is a marginal
correlation with predicted flows but the basis for the calculation is acknowledged in TA 46/97
to be not supported by evidence and the proposed carriageway is not recognised as a standard
arrangement. for those reasons it should be discarded as an acceptable option.
Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005

Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005

Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005

Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005

Roads Service
A2 Shore Road Greenisland
Stage 1 Scheme Assessment Report

Report Ref No S100532 / DOC / 08

App 4.3

August 2005