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Works to improve traffic flow in one of the busiest areas of Worcester city centre will be starting in June. As part of Worcestershire County Council’s wider programme of works to relieve traffic congestion and improve walking and cycling routes, the Sidbury Junction area of the city will be undergoing a range of improvements.
A key part of the works is the replacement of the almost 50 year old traffic light system with signals that use the latest technology. The new signals will regularly monitor traffic conditions and will adjust how long a particular light remains green based on the level of traffic. They will also have the ability to build up a memory so, at certain times of the day, they will be able to adapt to cope better with peak traffic.
To improve traffic flow along the City Walls Road from the north, the approach lanes will be extended further toward the Fownes Hotel which will enable vehicles to get into the correct lane earlier than they are able to at present. In addition to the replacement of the signals and lane extensions, there will also be a number of improvements being made for pedestrians and cyclists. A new signal-controlled pedestrian crossing will be installed at the northern end of Commandery Road which will include a central refuge to make it more user-friendly for pedestrians. The work will all take place between Clare Street in the north, Wylde’s Lane in the east, the southern end of Commandery Road where it joins Bath Road and Cathedral Square in the west.
Although most of the daytime work will be carried out during the school holidays to minimise disruption, initial works to carry out installation of ducting will start during the week commencing 17th June when there will be up to 7 successive overnight closures between 20:00 and 06:00. Worcestershire County Council’s contractor will be carrying out the work in phases and will therefore restrict the number of routes that are closed each evening to minimise the impact of the work, i.e. they will not all be closed on the same evening. Any diversions that are necessary will be signposted. The work will be carried out in accordance with Worcestershire Regulatory Service’s Code of Best Practice for Demolition and Construction Sites but the Council apologises in advance if some of the work is noisy. An overnight night closure of the Edgar Street/College Road junction is scheduled to take place one evening in mid-July (precise date tbc).
Towards the end of June, the footways on the west side of Commandery Road and College Street will be closed for the installation of ducting. An alternative route will be signposted for pedestrians.
Between the beginning of July and the end of August there will be lane restrictions on the Sidbury/College Street/City Walls Road junction, the College Street/Edgar Street junction, the College Street/St Peter’s Street junction and the Sidbury/Commandery Road/London Road junction. This work will be carried out in phases and even when a particular junction is having work carried out, all manoeuvres will be possible, i.e. you will be able to turn left and right out of/into all of the roads listed above.
At the end of August/early September there will be further overnight closures to carry out surfacing work. The precise dates will be confirmed on the County Council website nearer the time.
Every effort will be made to minimise the impact of the work and most of it is scheduled to take place during school holidays. During the works the current traffic signals will need to be removed and temporary signals will be installed pending the new signals coming into operation.
Please note that the work programme outlined above may be subject to change but you can find out more about the scheme and any updates on the County Council website at https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20254/major_infrastructure_and_improvement_schemes.
If you have any queries about the scheme, please email the County Council at majorprojects@worcestershire.gov.uk.
If you have any concerns about the impact of the work on an event you are organising or business deliveries for example, please contact Alun Griffiths Contractors (Ltd) on 03301 071484
** Information provided by The Major Projects Team, Worcestershire County Council, 06/06/2019 **
