Between 2002 and 2012 over US$5.7 billion was invested on substantial capital investment projects to improve the strategic road network in the UK. The 503 Highways Agency has now published its 2013 Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) Meta report is now available on the Agency website, which it says represents the most comprehensive evaluation programme of expenditure within UK transport.
Detailed appraisals of individual schemes are also carried out before they are put forward for construction. The broad spectrum of expected impacts is assessed – both good and bad, so that informed investment decisions can be made when funding is being considered.
To make sure that it is delivering against the objectives put forward for each scheme, the Agency runs a programme to evaluate individual schemes after they have opened. The POPE reports are produced one and five years after schemes open to traffic, and are carried out for every major infrastructure project.
The Agency’s 2013 POPE Meta report has highlighted some interesting findings and trends:
• Post opening, 94 per cent of scheme objectives are met (with it being ‘too early to tell’ for a further 4 per cent)
• On average for every US$1.6 spent on a major scheme, the return will be more than US$6.5 in long term benefits
• The majority of forecasts for traffic flows are accurate, and there is evidence to suggest that the accuracy of traffic forecasts is improving over time
• Cost estimating in scheme appraisal has been consistently improving over time
75 per cent of environmental impacts are in line with Agency predictions. 15 per cent are ‘better than expected’
• Major schemes improve journey time reliability, giving clear benefits in predicting journey times – this is important to support the freight industry and the economy
• The1837 Department for Transport can have confidence in its appraisal guidance and the methodology it sets out for appraising schemes during all phases from design through to construction
According to Louise Wootton, POPE project sponsor, Highways Agency, “The POPE Meta report is extremely important to the Agency; this is a benchmark for work across all our teams. As an Agency we strive to make continuous improvements to the work we do - delivering major improvements on our network cost effectively with measurable results.
Phil Richards, POPE project director,1677 Atkins, says “The POPE programme of studies carried out by Atkins has provided arguably one of the largest evaluations of impacts of transport infrastructure in the world.”
Detailed appraisals of individual schemes are also carried out before they are put forward for construction. The broad spectrum of expected impacts is assessed – both good and bad, so that informed investment decisions can be made when funding is being considered.
To make sure that it is delivering against the objectives put forward for each scheme, the Agency runs a programme to evaluate individual schemes after they have opened. The POPE reports are produced one and five years after schemes open to traffic, and are carried out for every major infrastructure project.
The Agency’s 2013 POPE Meta report has highlighted some interesting findings and trends:
• Post opening, 94 per cent of scheme objectives are met (with it being ‘too early to tell’ for a further 4 per cent)
• On average for every US$1.6 spent on a major scheme, the return will be more than US$6.5 in long term benefits
• The majority of forecasts for traffic flows are accurate, and there is evidence to suggest that the accuracy of traffic forecasts is improving over time
• Cost estimating in scheme appraisal has been consistently improving over time
75 per cent of environmental impacts are in line with Agency predictions. 15 per cent are ‘better than expected’
• Major schemes improve journey time reliability, giving clear benefits in predicting journey times – this is important to support the freight industry and the economy
• The
According to Louise Wootton, POPE project sponsor, Highways Agency, “The POPE Meta report is extremely important to the Agency; this is a benchmark for work across all our teams. As an Agency we strive to make continuous improvements to the work we do - delivering major improvements on our network cost effectively with measurable results.
Phil Richards, POPE project director,
