Technical > Projects > Stansted

One of the first 'live' applications for CONTRAM7 was at Stansted Airport, London's third largest airport with a turnover of two million passengers per annum (mppa) in 1994 - a figure planned to increase to around 15 mppa.

Back in 1994 Hyder had been commissioned by the Highways Agency to develop a CONTRAM5 model of the Birchanger interchange at junction 8 of the M11 motorway - the main road access to Stansted Airport.

Following the Government's latest Roads Review, Hyder has now been asked to develop detailed peak (morning and evening) and off-peak traffic models of the interchange as part of a scheme to improve traffic access to the airport and relieve congestion. These models will be used to assess the preferred solution - the provision of a dedicated slip road which would allow M11 traffic approaching from the south to bypass both junction 8 and airport junction 2. This scheme also aims to benefit non-airport traffic on the proposed A120 Stansted-Braintree route, providing an opportunity for London- bound traffic to avoid the junction when joining the M11.

The updated traffic model has been developed using CONTRAM7 and validated against the results of fresh traffic surveys carried out in the first half of 1999. The model network represents the area adjacent to M11 junction 8, including Takeley and the airport access roads.

CONTRAM7's enhanced time slicing capability has been used to construct a continuous 13-hour model with detailed simulation of the peak periods. The economic assessment will involve URECA and an interface program is being developed in-house to enable the output from CONTRAM7 to be used by URECA.

During its work on the Stansted model Hyder has been heavily involved in providing feedback on CONTRAM7's enhancements and bug fixes plus further development of the package.

Consultant : Hyder Consulting Ltd, www.hyder.com
Client : The Highways Agency, www.highways.gov.uk