£5m plans to improve major town junctions
Two notorious junctions are set to be upgraded next year
CONSULTATION on £5 million year long roadworks to speed up traffic at a notorious congestion hot spot is set to take place in spring next year.
The cash is to be spent on improving Hinckley’s Rugby Road at its junction with Hawley Road and its junction with Brookside. The two junctions result not just in queues at rush hours but at other times of day as traffic joins the busy Rugby Road from side roads then waits at the traffic lights.
Motorists face just over a year of disruption while the work takes place.
A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “The improve- ments to Rugby Road, Hinckley, will help us to ease congestion, which affects businesses and constrains growth, as well as help boost the economy. A public consultation will take place in spring 2019 which will help inform the final design; with work expected to start on site later in 2019.”
Leicestershire County Cllr David Bill (Lib Dem, Hollycroft) said: “The public need to see the designs to iron out any possible problems before the work starts and make sure the design is right the first time.
“Users of these junctions have strong views about all the present delays and I suggest that it would be as well to listen to local opinion.”
Cllr Bill raised the need for a con- sultation at a recent meeting of Leicestershire County Council’s environment and transportation overview and scrutiny meeting.
The plan for the roadworks is to alter the junction layouts, widen the road, change the traffic lights and improve the pavement and cycle path. The improvements could start in May 2019 and finish in summer 2020.
Some of the cash is coming from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund. The work is expected to improve productivity by ensuring people spend more time working or training and less time in traffic jams.
Traffic on Rugby road is expected to increase because of new housing developments planned and underway nearby.