Eastern Bay Link

The thing I've never quite understood is why did they build the first section so wide - it could easily carry 3 lanes - if the intention was to dual it with a parallel carriageway?

A proper dual carriageway would need two lanes and a hard shoulder.
There is definitely space for a second flyover, and abutments as previously mentioned - whether or not it gets built is another matter...

Im not sure that a dual carriageway needs a hard shoulder to be 'proper' - although it would normally be required for a motorway. Perhaps the intention was to match the standard of the A48 though

[youtube]tg-6fixkcxM&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

https://youtu.be/tg-6fixkcxM

I'm quite surprised to see a remarkably intact and well maintained rail line running next to the new road. I'm guessing that it links the two Celsa Steel sites. It could provide quite a useful corridor for the Metro in future.

I'm sure that the ground conditions are quite poor along that route. I can see some bored piling ongoing and I can also see some smaller driven piles. I guess that the bored piles are for the bridge abutments and the smaller piles are just ground improvement?

Watching the video posted by Zach, I'm disappointed to see that the plan shows no flaring at the junction with Rover Way roundabout. I can accept that they aren't building the flyover at Queensgate roundabout yet to keep the costs down, but it seems awfully shortsighted not to flare the next junction in preparation for a future flyover. At best its saving pennies now to spend pounds later, at worst it suggests there is no longer an ambition to complete a fully grade-separated PDR.

I wondered if there is more drastic decisions to be made with regards to the ocean way roundabout, as it is already quite a bit higher up to the land perpendicular to Ocean way. Not sure how much it would cost to keep the PDR level if they were to continue it though, and alter the Ocean way connectivity.

It has to be at a relatively high level so that the existing approach from Rover Way can bridge the Celsa/Docks railway line. I think the original proposed alignment was to bear east over the sewage works before heading north east along the foreshore - mostly elevated except for a section near Seawall Road, which may have had an offset rouandbout junction . FoE and the RSPB objected to that route. The route shown in the LDP constraints plan goes straight over the Ocean Way Roundabout and almost immediately follows Rover Way all the way to the Lamby Way roundabout. Im now thinking that they are going to end up dualing Rover Way. Cant see how they can do that without massive disruption.

I have often thought that Rover Way will be dualled on the grass verge to the south of the road, but probably with a 40mph restriction and no central reservation. The only pinch point is with the steelworks at the end of Seawall Road where you would need to purchase part of the bottom corner of the steelworks to continue and then the wider section would transfer over the the Pengam Green side. The industrial estates to the south of Rover way would need to be accessed from one roundabout instead of the current two, and there would need to be a change in the way scrap metal is transported across the road from the steelworks.

Making good progress, I didn't realise how much of this new link road was elevated?
Given this, could they have not bridged over the roundabout at the western end?

June's Update just in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umx50z-aREM



PS Windsor Road bridge opens this Saturday, I will drive across 30 times to get me monies worth, cause me is very thick!
If anyone who does look like me walked across the new road, I won't be able to stop myself hitting them, that's not my fault, just the way me is made.

Some more info and images on this project with a Welsh Government page now set up.

http://gov.wales/topics/transport/roads/schemes/a4232/eastern-bay-link/?lang=en

And this image confirms no new ramp which could be connected with the other ramp at a later date!