Overnight road closures plan for A50 for up to five weeks

A long strip of the A50 is to close overnight for five weeks because of roadworks.

Leicestershire County Council has agreed to the temporary road closure, which started on Monday, between the times of 8pm and 6pm.

The measures in place will include road closures and speed restrictions, and will run from the A50 roundabout at the junction of Bradgate Hill and Leicester Road, as well as the former Bradgate landfill site, to the Groby slip road connecting to Newton Linford Lane.

The works will include carriageway resurfacing, traffic signals being upgraded, and other associated work on the highway.

There will also be lane closures and speed restrictions through the day for traffic signal works, as well as to maintain access to Wallace Drive and Lena Drive.

The work will be split between northbound and southbound closures, with the majority of work happening on the southbound carriageway.

The full breakdown of the work is as follows:

■ Week commencing August 16 – Mon to Fri overnight – Full northbound road closures.

■ W/C Aug 23 – Mon to Fri overnight – full southbound road closures – No work will be taking place on Friday, August 27 – the road will be open.

■ W/C Aug 30 - Mon to Fri overnight - full southbound road closures – No work will be taking place on Monday, August 30 – the road will be open.

■ W/C Sept 6 - Mon to Fri overnight - full southbound road closures.

■ W/C Sept 13 – Lane closures northbound and southbound carriageway for work relating to the permanent traffic signals. The diversions recommended by the council suggest using the M1 to go from Junction 22 to 21, looping round and heading northbound to Junction 21A, then heading up the A46 to the A50 junction, and vice versa. For non-motorway traffic, you are recommended to go via Launde Road and Ratby Lane in Markfield, to Markfield Road, Groby Road, and Sacheverell Way in Ratby, then Sacheverell Way to Leicester Road, Markfield Road, and then Bradgate Hill in Groby, and vice versa.

The delays will take roughly 15 to 20 minutes via the motorway, and around 15 minutes for the nonmotorway route.

A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said: “The order will be implemented for public safety for Leicestershire County Council to facilitate carriageway resurfacing, traffic signals upgrade and any other associated work to the highway.”