A500 Etruria Widening three-year post-opening project evaluation (POPE)
A summary of our evaluation of this major road project against its objectives three years after opening.
For more details of our evaluation methods, please refer to the Major Enhancements evaluation approach.
For information on limitations, contextual factors and data constraints that may affect project performance assessment in POPES, see our POPE factsheet.
Glossary of terms used in POPE evaluations.
Evaluation summary
Three years after opening, the A500 Etruria project has delivered positive outcomes against its core objectives. Journey times have improved on key sections of the route, journey reliability has improved and both the number and severity of personal injury collisions have reduced. Environmental outcomes have generally been achieved as expected, although some landscape planting will benefit from continued maintenance to ensure long-term success.
While overall traffic volumes were lower than originally forecast, reflecting changes in travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic, the project continues to provide benefits for road users and supports access to the Etruria Valley Enterprise Area (part of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone). The evaluation found that the project continues to represent ‘high’ value for money, although this is lower than the ‘very high’ value forecast at appraisal, due primarily to lower traffic volumes and consequently lower monetised journey time benefits.
Overview of objectives
The project was developed to address congestion, improve safety and support economic growth on one of the busiest sections of the A500. The table below summarises how the project has performed against its objectives based on the evidence collected through the evaluation.
Overall, the evidence demonstrates that the project has achieved its core objectives and delivers positive outcomes for road users.
| Objective | Result |
|---|---|
| Improve journey times | Journey time savings have been achieved on key sections of the route, particularly southbound during the morning and evening peaks and northbound during the evening peak. |
| Improve journey time reliability | Journey reliability has improved across the project, with more consistent journey times and reduced variability. |
| Improve safety | Safety has improved. Personal injury collisions on the project extent reduced from an average of two per year before construction to one per year after opening. |
| Improve network efficiency | Additional capacity and the introduction of a consistent 50mph speed limit have improved traffic flow and reduced congestion on this section of the strategic road network. |
| Support economic growth and development | The project has improved access to the Etruria Valley Enterprise Area and complements the Etruria Valley Link Road, supporting local regeneration and economic development. |
| Improve conditions for walking and cycling | A new shared footway and cycleway has improved local connectivity and reduced severance, encouraging active travel between surrounding communities and employment areas. |
Project outcomes compared to forecasts
Appraisal forecasts set out the impacts anticipated as a result of the project. This evaluation compares those forecasts with the outcomes observed three years after opening to understand the extent to which expectations have been met.
Overall, the project has achieved its intended outcomes, although some benefits differ from those forecast. Lower traffic volumes have influenced journey time benefits and value for money, while improvements in journey reliability, safety and environmental outcomes have broadly been achieved as expected.
The table below compares forecast and observed outcomes across each evaluation theme.
Customer journeys
| Sub-area | Outcome vs forecast | Key notes |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic growth | Lower than forecast |
Traffic volumes across much of the project were lower than forecast, reflecting wider changes in travel demand. The exception was the northbound section between Etruria roundabout and Wolstanton junction, where traffic was slightly higher than the counterfactual, influenced by the opening of the Etruria Valley Link Road. |
| Journey time | Mixed outcomes |
Journey time savings were achieved on key sections of the route, although the pattern of improvements varied by direction and time of day. |
| Journey time reliability | Mixed outcomes |
Journey reliability improved across the project, with more consistent journey times and reduced variability, although this was partly influenced by lower traffic volumes. |
Safety
| Sub-area | Outcome vs forecast | Key notes |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | In line with forecast |
Personal injury collisions reduced. The original appraisal anticipated a reduction in collisions as a result of increased road capacity, which was expected to reduce queuing at slip roads, together with the introduction of a 50mph speed limit to encourage safer driving behaviour. |
Environment
| Sub-area | Outcome vs forecast | Key notes |
|---|---|---|
| Noise | In line with forecast | Lower traffic volumes and the implementation of low-noise surfacing and a consistent 50mph speed limit indicate that noise impacts are as expected. |
| Air quality | In line with forecast | Traffic volumes were lower than forecast in one location but higher than forecast in another. In the area where traffic flows were higher, monitoring showed that air quality was within the relevant standards. |
| Greenhouse gases | In line with forecast | Only a minor change in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the forecast was considered likely, and this was not expected to have a significant effect on overall greenhouse gas emissions along the A500. |
| Landscape | In line with forecast | Most mitigation planting has established successfully. Some planting areas would benefit from continued maintenance to ensure the intended landscape outcomes are fully realised. |
| Historic environment | In line with forecast | Most mitigation planting has established successfully. Some planting areas would benefit from continued maintenance to ensure the intended landscape outcomes are fully realised. |
| Biodiversity | In line with forecast | Biodiversity outcomes are broadly as expected, with most mitigation planting establishing successfully. |
| Water environment | In line with forecast | Drainage and water management measures appear to be functioning as intended, with no evidence that the project has increased flood risk or adversely affected water quality. |
| Physical activity | Better than forecast | The new shared pedestrian and cycle facility has improved local connectivity and provides greater opportunities for walking and cycling. |
| Severance | Better than forecast | Improved pedestrian and cycle links have enhanced access between communities, employment areas and local facilities. |
| Journey quality | In line with forecast | Improved journey reliability and smoother traffic flow have enhanced the overall customer journey experience. |
Value for money
| Sub-area | Outcome vs forecast | Key notes |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 'High’ value for money, but lower than the ‘very high’ at appraisal | Lower traffic volumes reduced monetised journey time benefits, although the project continues to provide positive benefits for road users and represents high value for money. |
Why do some outcomes differ from the original forecasts?
The evaluation compares what happened after the project opened with what was anticipated during appraisal. While the project has achieved its core objectives, several external factors influenced the results observed three years after opening.
The most significant factor was the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed travel demand and slowed the recovery in traffic volumes across the strategic road network. As a result, traffic flows on much of the A500 were lower than forecast, reducing the number of road users benefitting from journey time improvements.
Traffic patterns were also influenced by the opening of the Etruria Valley Link Road, which provides improved access to the Etruria Valley Employment Area. This complementary local project has altered how some traffic uses the surrounding road network, particularly on the northbound approach between Etruria roundabout and Wolstanton junction.
Although traffic volumes were generally lower than expected, the project has still delivered improvements in journey reliability, safety and network performance. Environmental outcomes have also broadly matched those anticipated at appraisal.
These findings demonstrate that the project continues to deliver positive outcomes, while highlighting how wider changes in travel behaviour and the surrounding transport network have influenced the level of benefits observed during the evaluation period.
Continuing to maximise benefits
The evaluation shows that the A500 Etruria Widening project has achieved its intended outcomes and continues to deliver benefits for road users and the wider community. Continued maintenance and monitoring will help ensure these benefits are sustained over the long term.
Key areas of focus include:
- maintaining landscape planting, particularly where establishment has been less successful, to ensure the project integrates fully into the surrounding environment over time
- continuing routine maintenance of environmental mitigation measures, including drainage and water management feature
Project overview
The A500 is a strategic route connecting the M6 and M1 via the A50 and provides an important bypass for Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area. It plays a key role in supporting local communities, businesses, freight movements and regional economic growth.
The A500 Etruria Widening project upgraded approximately one kilometre of highway between Porthill roundabout and Wolstanton junction by widening the existing dual carriageway from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. The project also introduced lane gains and lane drops at the junctions, reduced the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph to improve traffic flow and safety, and provided a new shared pedestrian and cycle route alongside the A500.
The project opened to traffic in July 2020 and was designed to complement wider transport improvements in the area, including the Etruria Valley Link Road, improving access to the Etruria Valley Enterprise Area and supporting future economic development.
Location map
Source: National Highways and OpenStreetMap contributors
Why the project was needed
Before the project, this section of the A500 experienced significant congestion and unreliable journey times, particularly during busy periods. High traffic volumes, closely spaced junctions and merge and diverge arrangements created delays and reduced the efficiency of the strategic road network. These conditions also contributed to safety concerns, with queues forming at junctions and merge points increasing the likelihood of collisions.
The project was designed to address these issues by increasing highway capacity, improving the flow of traffic and enhancing safety for all road users. It also aimed to improve access to the Etruria Valley Enterprise Area, support economic growth, provide better facilities for people walking and cycling, while minimising environmental impacts.
