Shropshire Council welcomes planned improvements to busy Oswestry junction

Shropshire Council has welcomed proposals from Highways England that are set to improve road safety at the A483/Maesbury Road junction, just outside Oswestry.

The junction links the Maesbury Road industrial estate and the A483.

Highways England plans to install traffic lights at the junction, which will make it safer and mean it can handle more traffic.

It follows a number of accidents, injuries and fatalities at the junction in recent years.

It’s hoped that work will be carried out in June this year.

Councillor Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said

“We have been working with Highways England to improve safety at the Maesbury Road junction and I’m delighted that these improvements are to be made.

“Improvements have been needed at this junction for many years. The A483 is a major route connecting north and south Wales with a small section running through Shropshire. There is also a lot of heavy goods traffic that turns out of and into the industrial estate and the current staggered junction is not the best option.”

Joyce Barrow, Shropshire Councillor for St Oswald, said:

“Maesbury Road junction has claimed a number of lives over the years since it was first put in place.  Oswestry Rural Parish Council along with myself have campaigned for changes to be made to this junction and I am delighted that Highways England have come forward with this proposed scheme.”

As part of the scheme, a small amount of work will take place on neighbouring roads, that are the responsibility of Shropshire Council.

This includes:

• Revising the bell mouth into Weston Road to improve access from the south. This is being carried out in order to maximise the development area south-west of the main A483 junction.
• The slight widening of Maesbury Road, to allow the provision of a two-lane approach to the new traffic lights. This will involve the relocation of the existing kerb line, associated drainage, one street lighting column and a length of new footway.

Highways England say that the work will result in a much more effective and efficient junction.