New bus route in city centre to clear traffic near the Clock Tower

CHURCH GATE IS ALSO SET TO BENEFIT FROM £4M SCHEME

A NEW link road in the city centre is set to open this weekend.

The route between Mansfield Street and Belgrave Gate has been completed as part of a £4 million project to improve bus journey times in the city centre.

The new road, called Savoy Street, is intended to provide a quick route for buses leaving the Haymarket bus station and forming part of a new, improved connection for pedestrians between the city’s two bus stations.

Work on the scheme began nearly a year ago and now both Mansfield Street and Sandacre Street have been reconstructed and upgraded.

Savoy Street opens tomorrow and will be accessible for buses, taxis and cyclists with the current bus route - along Belgrave Gate, Haymarket and Church Gate – closing to all vehicles near Leicester’s historic Clock Tower.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, pictured, said: “This new road will improve bus journey times for passengers, but it also paves the way for the regeneration of a high-profile part of the city centre that clearly needs investment.

“By rerouting buses onto Savoy Street, we will be able to remove traffic from the Clock Tower area and create a safer – and much more attractive – environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

“This investment around the Clock Tower will be a boost for businesses, and work to transform this popular meeting spot with high quality paving is already well under way, with work on the other streets in the area due to start in the new year.

“Once they’re part of the city centre’s pedestrian zone, businesses on Haymarket and parts of Belgrave Gate and Church Gate should benefit from greater footfall and a much improved street environment – which could be a real boost for them.”

The Savoy Street scheme is part of programme of linked transport and public realm improvement works, comprising several individual schemes.

The whole programme is supported by an £8.96 million allocation from the Local Growth Fund, a pot of government funding awarded to the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Limited for projects that benefit the local area and economy.