Ardessie Hydro Electric Project

Transcription

1 Ardessie Hydro Electric Project Appendix T - Traffic Management Plan 13 th December 2014 V1.0 Jacinta MacDermot DHG Hydro Ltd 7 St James s Gardens London W11 4RB Jacinta.macdermot@dhghydro.com

2 1 Introduction This appendix outlines the road and traffic issues anticipated during both the construction and operation of the proposed Ardessie Hydro Electric Project. Consultation with Transport Scotland took place as part of the screening and scoping request and whilst it was noted that the proposed development represents an intensification of the use of the site, the percentage increase in traffic on the trunk road is such that the proposed development is likely to cause minimal environmental impact on the trunk road network. The A832 on which Ardessie is located is not designated as a trunk road. 2 Description of the access route Ardessie is located on the A832 between Braemore Junction to the east and Gairloch to the west, and is therefore easily accessible from the public road network In addition to local traffic the road is a tourist route that forms part of the Wester Ross Coastal Trail. There are a number of dwellings that make up the settlement of Ardessie and these are dispersed at intervals along the A832. Traffic can be fast along this road. There is no formal pavement, though the verges are wide and flat and visibility it generally good. 2

3 Figure A The A832 at Ardessie, looking east towards the powerhouse and hill track access points There is a designated parking place in front of the Scottish Water Treatment Works, just to the west of the bridge over the burn. This provides parking for walkers and visitors to the falls, who then walk along the main road to access the footpaths. Vehicles also park on the bridge over the burn, which can reduce visibility for vehicles exiting Ardessie Falls House. 3 Description of the project traffic type and distribution The Ardessie hydro project will take approximately 12 months to complete though, depending on weather conditions, there may be breaks in construction work and associated traffic. The bulk of the traffic during the construction phase will be delivery traffic along with site access by the construction team. During the final 3 months (commissioning phase) traffic will be mostly limited to site access to the powerhouse by the engineering team installing the turbine and commissioning the system. Personnel traffic - Based on similar past projects the construction team is estimated to average around 10 people for the construction phase and 5 people for the commissioning phase. There will also be personnel associated with works such as the grid connection, ecological monitoring, project management etc - typically 5 vehicles per day. 3

4 Construction machinery traffic It is estimated that four large (32 ton) tracked excavators and two smaller (15 ton) tracked excavators will be required. In addition it is anticipated that additional machinery including tractor/trailer, 4*4 wheel dumpers, tracked dumpers, tele- handler, pipeline welding equipment and mobile crusher will be required. It is anticipated that this machinery will be delivered to site and remain for the duration of the project except for maintenance swap out etc. Exact machinery requirements will be confirmed when the principal contractor is appointed. Construction material traffic The construction entails a small (12m*8.5m) but substantial earth sheltered powerhouse building, the pipe bridge and an intake structure, requiring delivery of an estimated 200m3 concrete over a 7 month period. It is anticipated that the intake concrete will be batch mixed on site using dry imported materials due to access restrictions but the powerhouse will use standard ready- mix deliveries. It is estimated that there may be 40 deliveries of concrete/aggregate. The bulk of the delivery traffic will be made up of deliveries of the pipeline material with a total of approximately 1375m of pipe. If Ductile Iron, the required diameter will be 900mm 1000mm and would be supplied in 6m lengths. It is estimated that delivery could require up to 25 loads which would probably be spread over a 2 month period. Electro- mechanical equipment traffic These deliveries are relatively few, typically 5 deliveries, and will take place in the commissioning phase. Operation and maintenance traffic When the plant is operational the traffic volumes will be very low. There will be the requirement for weekly inspection visits and some maintenance visits, both scheduled and unscheduled. 4 Abnormal Loads An abnormal load is defined as a vehicle that has any of the following: A weight of more than kg An axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non- driving axle and 11,500 kg for a single driving axle A width of more than 2.9m A length of more than 18.65m The only abnormal loads anticipated are low- loaders delivering plant and welfare facilities to site at the beginning of the project, and removing it at the end of the project. The largest component of the hydro scheme will be the pipe lengths, which 4

5 will be delivered in standard articulated lorries, which would be classed as normal loads. Advance notice of any abnormal loads will be given via the Highways Agency electronic service delivery for abnormal loads (ESDAL) System. 5 Estimated traffic volumes An estimate of daily traffic volumes throughout the construction phase of the project is presented in Table A below. The months in which traffic is concentrated may vary, depending on the construction schedule, but the overall amount of traffic is likely to be similar. Table A Estimated Average Daily Traffic Volumes During Construction The figures used in this estimate show, for example, that in June there may be an average of 0.5 artic lorries per day. This equates to 2.5 a week, or around 11 per month. 5

6 An estimate of the monthly traffic volumes associated with the construction of the project is presented in Table B below: Figure B Estimated monthly traffic volumes during construction An estimate of the monthly traffic volumes associated with long- term operation and maintenance of the project is shown below in Table C. 8$ Table'C'7'Es:mated'Monthly'Traffic'Volumes'During'Opera:on'' 7$ Average'Monthly'Traffic'Volume' 6$ 5$ 4$ 3$ 2$ 1$ 0$ Mar$ Apr$ May$ Jun$ Jul$ Aug$ Sep$ Oct$ Nov$ Dec$ Jan$ Feb$ Car$ 5$ 5$ 5$ 5$ 4$ 3$ 3$ 4$ 4$ 5$ 5$ 5$ LGV$(3.5T)$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$ 2$Axel$(18T)$ 3/4$Axel$fixed$(25$Ton)$ 4$Axel,$arKc$(36Ton)$ Figure C Estimated monthly traffic volumes during operation 6

7 6 Potential impacts Potential impacts of the additional construction traffic include: Delays to residents and visitors journeys due to construction and delivery traffic turning off and onto the main road Delays to journeys during installation of the pipe and grid cable under the road (traffic lights will be required). Increase in noise levels Potential increase in vibrations from passing of additional heavy traffic Increase in dust Damage to road surfaces The majority of the houses at Ardessie are set back from the road and works will be carried out during the working day so it is hoped that, although the works will undoubtedly be an inconvenience, they will not cause significant disruption in terms of traffic delays. The primary issue is to ensure that no vehicles either park on or carry out any manoeuvres on the public road. Large access turn- in areas, with parking areas, are proposed at both the powerhouse access point and the hill access point to avoid this and the details are shown in the maps given in Appendix A 7 Proposed transport mitigation measures The transport assessment has identified that the increase in traffic during the construction phase will not place a significant increased demand on the road network. No road infrastructure upgrades are required, and there are sufficient passing places on the minor road to allow free movement of traffic. The traffic mitigation proposed is therefore: Where possible, the deliveries to site will be co- ordinated to avoid busy times of day, i.e early morning or later afternoon Where possible deliveries to site be co- ordinated to avoid busy holiday periods Where possible personnel working on site will be lodged near the site and lift- sharing encouraged Construction personnel will be briefed on keeping speeds to a minimum and treating residents and other road users courteously. During extended dry spells, dust levels will be monitored. Limiting speeds can reduce the risk of raising dust. All site traffic shall use the designated turn in and parking areas and avoid any parking or manoeuvring on the highway. 7