Shrewsbury bypass proposals on display this week

People are being reminded that plans are going on display this week for an £8.75 million scheme to improve traffic flow on the Shrewsbury bypass.

The Highways Agency is due to start work on four roundabouts on the A5 around Shrewsbury later this year, and an exhibition to display the plans will take place on Wednesday and Thursday (11 and 12 September 2013) at Salop Leisure from 10am to 4pm.

The junctions being lined up for the work are Preston Boats (where the A5 meets the A49 to the east of Shrewsbury), Emstrey, Churncote and Edgebold roundabouts.

Work will mainly take place at night, between 8pm and 6am, to minimise any disruption to traffic, and work is due to start in November 2013 with all schemes completed by early 2015.

Councillor Claire Wild, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for highways, said:

“It’s really good news for Shropshire that the Government is investing almost £9 million into improving junctions on what is one of the busiest stretches of road in the county. 

“We are happy to support the Highways Agency by organising this exhibition so people can see what the plans are, and we will do all we can to help minimise any disruption while the work takes place.  Although there will be some inconvenience to drivers during the project, the long-term benefits will be huge by greatly reducing congestion on the Shrewsbury bypass in future.”

Highways Agency Project Manager, Jess Kenny, added:

“Safety is our top priority and we are committed to improving roads for motorists by reducing congestion and keeping traffic on the move.  This scheme will not only make the proposed junctions safer, but will also support connectivity and the long-term economic prosperity of the region.”

The £8.75 million investment by the Government is part of a £317 million “Pinch Point” improvement programme designed to boost local economies, reduce congestion and improve safety on the strategic road network in England.  The programme is part of the UK Government’s growth initiative, outlined during the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in November 2011.

The Pinch Point programme provides smaller scale improvements that can deliver big returns by easing congestion and making journey times more reliable for road users, including hauliers and commuters to help boost local economies and drive economic growth.

Further information

For more details about each proposal click the following links:

Preston Boats

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a5-preston-boats-junction-improvement/

Emstrey

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a5-emstrey-roundabout-improvement/

Churncote

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a5-churncote-roundabout-junction-improvement/

Edgebold

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a5-edgebold-roundabout-junction-improvement/