Traffic regulation
18.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this article, the undertaker may at any time for the purposes of the—
(a)construction of the authorised project temporarily regulate traffic further to part 1 of Schedule 10 (traffic regulation), and
(b)construction, operation or maintenance of the authorised project permanently regulate traffic further to part 2 of Schedule 10 (traffic regulation),
in the manner specified in column (4) on those roads specified in column (2) and along the lengths and between the points specified, or to the extent otherwise described in column (3) of that Schedule.
(2) Without limiting the scope of the specific powers conferred by paragraph (1) but subject to the provisions of this article and the consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of the traffic authority in whose area the road concerned is situated, which consent may be subject to reasonable conditions, the undertaker may, in so far as may be expedient or necessary for the purposes of or in connection with the construction, operation, or maintenance of the authorised project —
(a)revoke, amend or suspend in whole or in part any order made, or having effect as if made, under the 1984 Act;
(b)permit, prohibit or restrict the stopping, parking, waiting, loading or unloading of vehicles on any road;
(c)authorise the use as a parking place of any road;
(d)make provision as to the direction or priority of vehicular traffic on any road; and
(e)permit or prohibit vehicular access to any road;
either at all times or at times, on days or during such periods as may be specified by the undertaker.
(3) The undertaker shall not exercise the powers in paragraphs (1) and (2) unless it has—
(a)given not less than 4 weeks’ notice in writing of its intention so to do to the chief officer of police and to the traffic authority in whose area the road is situated; and
(b)advertised its intention in such manner as the traffic authority may specify in writing within 7 days of the traffic authority’s receipt of notice of the undertaker’s intention under sub-paragraph (a).
(4) Any prohibition, restriction or other provision made by the undertaker under paragraph (1) or (2) shall—
(a)have effect as if duly made by, as the case may be—
(i)the traffic authority in whose area the road is situated as a traffic regulation order under the 1984 Act; or
(ii)the local authority in whose area the road is situated as an order under section 32 of the 1984 Act; and
(b)be deemed to be a traffic order for the purposes of Schedule 7 to the Traffic Management Act 2004 (road traffic contraventions subject to civil enforcement).
(5) Any prohibition, restriction or other provision made under this article may be suspended, varied or revoked by the undertaker from time to time by subsequent exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph (2) at any time.
(6) Before complying with the provisions of paragraph (3) the undertaker shall consult the chief officer of police and the traffic authority in whose area the road is situated.
(7) Expressions used in this article and in the 1984 Act shall have the same meaning in this article as in that Act.
(8) If the traffic authority fails to notify the undertaker of its decision within 28 days of receiving an application for consent under paragraph (2) the traffic authority shall (unless the parties agree otherwise) be deemed to have refused consent.
(9) The undertaker may not exercise the power in paragraph 18(1)(a) or 18(2) after completion of construction.