A720 Edinburgh City Bypass accidents: EIR release

Information requested

1) How many crashes have been reported from 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calerwood Junction?

2) How many near misses have been reported from 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calerwood Junction?

3) How many concerns or reports have been raised about lack of lighting have been reported from 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the east-bound and west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calerwood Junction?

4) How many concerns or reports have been raised about flooding have been reported from 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the east-bound and west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calerwood Junction?

5) How many concerns or reports have been raised about blocked drains have been reported from 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the east bound and west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calerwood Junction?

6) Between the Calder Junction and the Baberton junction of the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) how many lamp posts are there?

7) Between the Calder Junction and the Baberton junction of the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) how many lights are there in any capacity allowing drivers to see the road at night time?

8) From 01/01/2015 to present, what risk assessments have been carried out in terms of installing lighting on the entire route of the Edinburgh City Bypass?

9) From 01/01/2015 to present, what risk assessments have been carried out in terms of flood prevention on the entire route of the Edinburgh City Bypass?

10a) How many drains are there on the east and west bound bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction?

10b) How many times have the drains been cleared on the east and west bound bypass from Baberton junction to Calderwood junction from 01/01/2015 to present. I would like the dates this happened if possible?

10c) How many blocked drains have been reported from 01/01/2015 to present? I would like these dates also if possible.

11) What improvements or changes have been made to the central reservation from the Baberton Junction to the Calderwood junction from 01/01/2015 to present?

12) How many reports of aquaplaning have there been on the Edinburgh City Bypass from 01/01/2015 to present?

13) How many reports of aquaplaning have there been on the Edinburgh City Bypass from the Baberton Junction to Calderood Junction east and west bound 01/01/2015 to present?

14) On 27th January 2021, how many 'flood' signs were placed on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction warning drivers of the potential for flooding?

15) On 28th January 2021, how many 'flood' signs were placed on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction warning drivers of the potential for flooding?

16) On 29th January 2021, how many 'flood' signs were placed on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction warning drivers of the potential for flooding?

17) On 30th January 2021, how many 'flood' signs were placed on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction warning drivers of the potential for flooding?

18) On 1st February 2021, how many 'flood' signs were placed on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction warning drivers of the potential for flooding?

19) On 27th January 2021, how many cones were there on the central reservation on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction?

20) On 28th January 2021, how many cones were there on the central reservation on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction?

21) On 29th January 2021, how many cones were there on the central reservation on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction?

22) On 30th January 2021, how many cones were there on the central reservation on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction?

23) On 1st February 2021, how many cones were there on the central reservation on the bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood Junction.

You also clarified that the references to Calderwood Junction are actually for Calder Junction.

Response

1) Between 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction there were 45 road traffic collisions reported.

2) Between 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction there were no near misses recorded in relation to traffic collisions.

3) Between 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction there were no concerns or reports raised regarding lack of lighting.

4) Between 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction there were 3 concerns/reports raised regarding flooding.

5) Between 01/01/2015 to 29/01/21 on the west-bound side of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction there were no concerns/reports specifically regarding blocked drains.

6) Between the Calderwood (Calder) Junction and the Baberton junction of the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) there are no lamp posts.

7) Between the Calderwood (Calder) Junction and the Baberton junction of the A720 (Edinburgh City Bypass) there are no lights there in any capacity allowing drivers to see the road at night time.

8) From 01/01/2015 to present, there have been no risk assessments carried out in terms of installing lighting on the entire route of the Edinburgh City Bypass. The implementation of new street lighting on the current road network would only come about if a change to the legislation/guidance or if there was a recognised correlation of injury road traffic incidents during the hours of darkness.

9) From 01/01/2015 to present, there have been no risk assessments carried out in terms of flood prevention on the entire route of the Edinburgh City Bypass. Flood risk assessments are not undertaken on a route but at known locations of flooding.

Flood locations are added to our Disruption Risk Register and assessed through Transport Scotland’s Disruption Risk Assessment Tool.

10a) There are 219 gullies on the east and west bound bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction.

10b) These drains are cleared annually as part of cyclic maintenance and this was carried out in May 2015, April 2016, April 2017, April 2018, June 2019 and October 2020.

10c) Please see Annex A to this response for details of blocked drains on the east and west bound bypass from Baberton Junction to Calderwood (Calder) Junction reported from 01/01/2015 to present.

11) Safety fence upgrades were completed during April and May 2021.

12) There have been no reports of aquaplaning on the Edinburgh City Bypass from 01/01/2015 to present.

13) There have been no reports of aquaplaning on the Edinburgh City Bypass between the Baberton and Calderwood (Calder)Junctions, east and west bound, from 01/01/2015 to present.

14-23) Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. We do not have the information you have requested because we do not hold records on the number of flood signs or traffic cones used during specific works.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstance of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about flood signs and traffic cones, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

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FOI202100225194 - Annex A

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