Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Time for road rethink
North Lanarkshire Council has pledged to“continue to identify practical measures to improve traffic flow”in Chapelhall as it now reviews its plans in the wake of last week’s U-turn.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “Following a public meeting last Wednesday, North Lanarkshire Council has responded to the concerns of residents and businesses in Chapelhall and cancelled the planned works to address long-standing issues with traffic congestion and resulting poor air quality.
“The work would have closed Lauchope Street for 22 weeks to allow the roadway to be widened and create a dedicated left-hand turn lane to Main Street.
“Chapelhall is designated as an air quality management area (AQMA), which means air pollution exceeds the national annual average objective. This is caused by the heavy traffic using Main Street and the junction with Lauchope Street in the centre of the village.
“The council has previously introduced a number of measures to improve air quality including declassification of one of the roads just outwith the Chapelhall AQMA to avoid this being a suggested route on satnav technology and therefore reducing traffic, including HGVs; upgrading of traffic signals with new technology to maximise capacity; and construction of a car park to discourage double parking at local shops.
“In the longer term, the council’s Glasgow City Region City Deal is funding plans to realign the A73, taking more traffic away from Chapelhall.”
The spokesperson added:“During the public meeting a number of issues were raised by local residents and businesses about the impact on the community during the construction and the effectiveness of the planned improvement works.
“As a result, the council decided to review its plans for the location and consider other possible options to improve air quality and traffic flow, in particular how heavy goods vehicles could be diverted away from Main Street, while minimising the impact on the community.
“The council will continue to identify practical measures to improve traffic flow in and around Chapelhall and will consult with the community on revised proposals when these are available.”