Clockwise Chester

Since Clockwise was introduced in November last year we have taken a number of measures to improve the situation for all road users including:

• Updating sat nav providers such as Google Maps so drivers are automatically routed the correct way around Clockwise and helped to find the optimum routes, recommending all drivers use their sat-nav (hands free) even if they know their route to get the best journey times.
• Improving the phasing of the temporary traffic lights to give more priority to through traffic particularly along Nicholas Street and St Martins Way.
• Working with many of the city's businesses such as Storyhouse, Chester BID and Destination Chester so that their guests and customers are proactively pre-warned about the diversions so can plan accordingly.
• Liaised with city centre schools to try and minimise care journeys into the city and increase the use of school buses from locations outside the city centre.
• Continued to promote the Park and Ride services with adverts on the buses and social media posts prior to events such as race meetings to advise in advance of Clockwise.
• Signage across the city is regularly reviewed to help drivers locate key locations such as car parks, but also to keep temporary signage to a minimum and reduce signage clutter.
• Liaising with businesses such as the Travelodge and Tesco on Pepper Street to ensure their deliveries do not occur at peak times which can result in queues on the inner ring road.

To provide space for a large crane to operate safely and complete the construction of the new multi-storey car park it will be necessary to close a central section of Hunter Street to all through traffic from 4 to 24 September. This closure is an essential part of the Chester Northgate development's construction.

At the same time, the closure will enable several electricity, water and gas ducts to be laid across Hunter Street into the Northgate scheme, reducing the need for further closures in the future. As a result of the Hunter Street closure, Northgate Street will operate as a two-way traffic flow for essential traffic only during the closure with exits via Canal Street and the Fountains Roundabout. Pedestrian access along the full length of Hunter Street will remain open during the closure.

All other current restrictions in the vicinity, including city centre access via the Town Hall bollards will remain unchanged during the Hunter Street closure.

The new rain/surface water drain tunnel will be a significant investment in the city centre's future and is a necessary requirement ahead of forthcoming major regeneration and vastly improved city centre facilities.

Yes, the new drain will result in significant future proof environmental protections and benefits; the Council is working with Welsh Water and the Environment Agency to ensure that the drain meets water industry and environmental standards. The benefits will include:

• Reducing instances of flooding and drain bursts in the city centre
• Diverting rainwater away from the sewer network which will reduce the volume of water requiring sewage treatment and in turn, reduce the energy used as a result
• Maximising the capacity of the existing household and commercial sewer network
• Providing a more efficient and sustainable rainwater drainage network for Chester
• Reducing the number of untreated sewage discharges into the river due to heavy rainfall when the current network is already at capacity.

It will run from Princess Street south along St. Martin's Way, Nicholas Street, Grosvenor Road and Castle Drive, and will end with a new outfall into the River Dee.

The drain will be almost 1km in length, 1.2m in diameter and require access shafts 5.5m wide and 7m deep. Over 85 per cent of the new drain will be installed via tunnelling rather than an open trench to minimise disruption above ground, but will require nine access shafts along the route for the tunnelling equipment to operate between.

The route of the drain and locations of each tunnel shaft have been carefully planned to avoid existing underground utility pipes, cables and sewers as well as buried structures and archaeological sites. The new drain also needs to connect up with the existing sewer network as the cost of major alterations would be prohibitive, and allow for the optimal flow of water in the new drain.

The tunnel shafts cannot operate safely in the central reservations due to the size of the shafts (over 5m in diameter), deliveries to each shaft, collection of the excavations plus site access for the workers.

Furthermore, one lane in each direction would be more easily be blocked by hold-ups and provide reduced traffic flow than two lanes in one direction; emergency vehicle access would also be hindered with one lane for the length of this section of the inner ring road. One-way also enables us to reallocate traffic signal timings from unused junction approaches to maximise green time and thus increase the flow of traffic.

The tunnel shaft locations cannot be moved so it would be impractical to make traffic lane adjustments, plus the logistics of moving large numbers of cones and signs would also make this impractical and dangerous for staff working in live traffic more often, it would also lead to confusion for as to what was in operation and when.

However once shafts are completed; phased reopening of traffic lanes may be possible subject to safety criteria and traffic modelling.

Various options to manage the drain construction were considered, and in finalising the Clockwise scheme we consulted with local Councillors, a wide range of local resident groups, traders, emergency services and bus operators. This also included a presentation to the Chester District Advisory Panel, which was held in public in Blacon in February 2020. Their feedback helped shape the plans that were finalised and approved by Councillors in March 2020.

The new drain will require 9 access shafts with each one requiring site hoardings, archaeology investigations, digging, tunnelling work to its adjacent shafts and reinstatement followed by relaying the tarmac for the carriageway to be used again and, where needed, central reservations to be installed.

Although work commenced on the Northgate scheme in July 2020, extensive prior site investigations were needed to finalise the drain tunnel route, check existing underground services and geology, as well as enabling works along St. Martins Way and Nicholas Street to remove the central reservations and lighting columns ahead of the main tunnel works. Some of this was done during lockdown but it was not possible to do all the tunnel works in this time.

Standard weekday and Saturday morning working hours only will be necessary out of consideration for the proximity of the drain works to city centre residential areas and hotels along the tunnel route. However, we are exploring ways to minimise the work duration and complete as soon and as safe to do so.

• Dee Lane
• The Groves
• Castle Drive
• Black Friars
• Nuns Road
• Weaver Street
• City Walls Road
• King Street

Nuns Road will be closed until January 2022, this is to allow for significant drain shaft works in the road at the junction of Nuns Road and Grosvenor Road, so only emergency vehicles will have access to this junction for safety reasons. Pedestrian and cycle access will remain open.

19 March - 26 November 2021: Drainage Tunnel Works

Castle Drive access closed from Grosvenor Bridge end, diversions in place for access to University, Little Roodee car park and COVID-19 testing site from Lower Bridge Street only.

Pedestrian and cycle access to Castle Drive in both directions will be maintained during these works.

Yes due to the one-way plan for the inner ring road, two stops will be closed:

• The eastbound only stop on Grosvenor Street opposite the Save the Children shop (however westbound stop will remain open).
• The stop on Foregate Street outside the former Argos store before the Bars roundabout will also close.

Signage will be in place at each stop to advise of the changes.