A45/A6 Chowns Mill
junction improvement
Public information exhibition

April 2018

Introduction
Investing in our roads

Public information exhibitions

At Highways England we believe in a connected
country and our network makes these connections
happen. We strive to improve our major roads
and motorways – engineering the future tokeep people moving today and moving better
tomorrow. We want to make sure all our majorroads are more dependable, durable and, mostimportantly, safe. That’s why we’re delivering£15 billion of investment on our network – thelargest investment in a generation. The Chowns
Mill improvement scheme is a critical partof this investment and will improve journeys
along the A45 and A6 corridors, which is great
news for the local and regional economy.

One of the best ways to find out more isto come to one of our public information
exhibitions, where you’ll be able to findout more about the scheme and speak tomembers of the project team who will behappy to answer any questions you may have.

In this brochure we explain our proposed
improvements for the A45/A6 Chowns Mill junction.

Date: Saturday 7 April 2018
Time: 10am - 4pm
Location:
Park Road Baptist Church, Park Road,Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 0RG

Scheme visualisations: Chumleys Illustration

Date: Friday 6 April 2018
Time: 2pm - 8pm
Location:
Park Road Baptist Church, Park Road,
Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 0RG

Why is the scheme needed?
The A45 is a key link between the A14 and M1,
serving the growing Northampton, Wellingboroughand Rushden areas. Current levels of congestion
are having a serious effect on communities
and businesses, and could constrain future
development in the area. Chowns Mill is junction
18 of the A45 and has a roundabout between theA45, the A6 and the A5028 Station Road, into thetown of Higham Ferrers. The roundabout suffersfrom severe congestion at peak travel times;

leading to long queues on all approaches. This
congestion will increase as traffic levels grow.
We have developed a scheme to improve theChowns Mill roundabout, which will include
widening the A45 and A6 approaches to provide
additional traffic lanes, creating an additionalroundabout section on the south side of theexisting roundabout, and introducing traffic
signals to manage traffic safely and effectively.

What are the benefits?
The upgrade of the Chowns Mill roundabout
will lead to more reliable and safer journeys
for people and businesses, by reducing
congestion and providing more capacity
on the road. Improving the junction will:

Improve access for non-motorised users(NMUs): New signalled crossings will be built
for cyclists and pedestrians to make it safer
to cross the junction. All crossing points will
be designed for users with disabilities.

Improve journey times: Upgrading theChowns Mill roundabout will improve
journey time reliability through the junctionby providing additional lanes.

Environment: We will work to minimise our impact
on the environment and enhance environmental
features where possible; such as introducing newplanting to enhance the junction and NMU routes.

Improve safety: The scheme will improvesafety by changing the junction layout andintroducing traffic signals – managing the flowof traffic through the junction more effectively
and reducing conflicts between turning traffic.
Support economic growth: Current congestion
and journey time reliability issues are significant
constraints to future investment and economicgrowth. An improvement to the junction
will encourage continued investment in theregional economy and support new corporate,commercial and residential opportunities.
Westbound approach to junction
with roundabout showing cycle crossingsProgress so far
We have been working hard to progress the scheme design:Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

We identified 18 options
which would meet ourobjectives for the scheme.

We carried out detailed
analysis and modellingon the 4 best options,to ensure that the final
chosen scheme would offer
the best value for money
based on the benefits
it would give againstfuture traffic demands.

Option 1 - Half hamburger
with enlarged southernroundabout section was identified as themost suitable andcost-effective option andhas been progressed tothe detailed design stage.

An assessment wasundertaken and 4 options
were taken forward forfurther consideration.

Option 1: Half hamburger
with enlarged southernroundabout section

Option 2:
Large hamburger
roundabout

Option 3:
Compact grade
separated junction

Option 4:
Full grade
separated junction

 No land take required Large amount ofland take required Large amount ofland take required Large amount ofland take required Potential to impact
environmentallysensitive areas Visually intrusive
and impacts localenvironment

 Increased
journey times

 Long design andconstruction phase Generates noise
pollution, visually
intrusive and impacts
local environment Potential to impact
environmentallysensitive areas
 Difficult traffic
management
phases required Significantlyexceeds budget
 Long design andconstruction phaseOur proposal
We are proposing to improve the existingroundabout at Chowns Mill, which will include
widening the A45 and A6 approaches to provide
additional traffic lanes, creating an additionalroundabout section on the south side of theexisting roundabout, and introducing traffic signals
to manage traffic safely and effectively: The roundabout will be redesigned as ahalf hamburger layout with a new link roadconnecting the A6 North and A5028 with theexisting roundabout. This will improve theexisting junction to allow better flow of traffic
reducing congestion through the junction.
 All approaches to the junction will bewidened to provide extra lanes and increase
capacity for traffic travelling through thejunction. Partial signalisation of the junction
will ensure better management of traffic,
reducing turning conflicts, improving safety,and increasing capacity.
 New signalled crossings will be built tomake it safer for cyclists and pedestrians tocross the junction. All crossing points will be
designed for users with disabilities.

Environmental and local impacts
We are currently carrying out environmental
assessments to look at how the scheme willaffect air quality, traffic flow, noise and the local
landscape, and what we can do to minimise this.

 We will not need to purchase any additional
land and will carry out the improvements to thejunction within existing highways boundaries.
 We will assess the noise and vibration impactsof the project throughout construction and will
work hard to keep this to a minimum.
 During construction, local residents and thetravelling public may experience adverse
impacts, such as increased noise and delays
to their journey. We will work hard to minimise
disruption wherever possible.
 Some existing vegetation will need to be
removed during construction which may change
the local landscape. We will carry out replanting
around the junction, which will be designed toblend the scheme into the wider landscape.
 There are ecologically important sites in thearea including the Upper Nene Valley Gravel
Pits SPA/Ramsar and sites of special scientificinterest (SSSI) that may be affected by theworks. Where species are identified, we will put
in place measures to reduce the impacts of ourworks, for example we would ensure vegetation
clearance would take place outside of thenesting bird season.
 We will take all opportunities to re-use
materials and use sustainable
construction methods.
 We will reduce energy emissions by using LED
bulbs in all new street lights and traffic signals.

Next steps
Detailed design of the chosen option is
now being progressed with input fromexperienced contractors to ensure the scheme
can be built with the least impact on local
communities and the travelling public.

or visit our website where you canalso sign up for email alerts:
www.highways.gov.uk/A45chowns-millWrite to:A45 Chowns Mill improvement team
Highways England
Stirling House
Lakeside Court
Osier Drive
Sherwood Business Park
NottinghamNG15 0DS

We will complete the detailed design byautumn 2018 and plan to start construction
work in late 2019. We will hold further
public information events before the main
works start to keep you updated.
If you have any queries about this scheme
please email us at:
infoa45chownsmill@highwaysengland.co.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 5000

Key
Existing carriageway
pund authbo
A 6 soProposed widening works

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Proposed splitter islands
and hardstanding areas
Proposed footways
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New signage gantries

eneyction

Proposed landscaping areas
Earthworks to accommodate
new carriageway alignment

cheme

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Retaining structure
1Formal parking at
Chowns Mill Business Park

2 3

New signalled crossings forcyclists and pedestrians

4

Additional lanes on
existing roundabout

5New link road connecting theA6 northbound and A5028
with the existing roundabout

Chowns MillBusiness Park
324

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A6A4ndouapach© Crown copyright and database rights 2018 OS 100030649

proA5028
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