Plans published for improving road safety in Meole area of Shrewsbury
Shropshire Council has announced a new package of highway improvement works to improve road safety in the Meole area of Shrewsbury.
The Meole Active Travel Quarter work will redesign the public highway at a number of locations across the Meole area, helping people to more safely walk, wheel and cycle, and improving accessibility and connectivity across the road network.
It will address those long-standing concerns from the local community who have called for changes and improved road safety throughout the Meole area – and will help the council’s aim to unlock the potential of Shrewsbury within the next ten years.
The plans can be seen on the council’s website until Friday 15 March 2024, where people can also submit their comments for consideration by the project team.
The ‘Meole Active Travel Quarter’ is comprised of the following improvement schemes:
1 – Bank Farm Road: Active Travel Quarter. Upgrade the existing cycling amenities to create an active travel corridor. Funding has been received from Active Travel; England to design a scheme that is ready for construction. Funding for the ‘ build’ will be applied for once it’s available.
2 – Roman Road Roundabout: Enhancement works. Revise the roundabout’s layout to increase movements and capacity with further measures including two new Toucan Crossings (with artificial intelligence) and an enhanced footway;
3- Longden Road / Mousecroft Lane: Improvement scheme. Improve pedestrian and cyclist connectivity with the construction of a new road hump and re-allocation of footway to segregated route.
This work is being funded through the council’s integrated transport funding and CIL (developer contributions) funding. Work is due to be carried out this summer at the same time as planned maintenance work.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for active travel, said:
“We’re committed to improving road safety and active travel opportunities and the safety of children travelling to and from school is vitally important. We’re grateful to the local community for highlighting their road safety concerns in the Meole area, particularly in relation to walking and cycling in the vicinity of the nearby schools.
“Officers have worked closely with local residents and groups over the past few months as these plans have been developed and progressed, and I’m pleased that they will soon become a reality.
“We now encourage people to have a look at the plans and let us have their thoughts before work begins.”
Further information
The benefits of the Meole Active Travel Quarter are expected to include:
- Boosting the local economy;
- Improving air quality;
- Improving bus reliability;
- Improving green amenities, including planting new trees at certain locations;
- Improving mental and physical health, whilst easing pressure on the local health services;
- Improving road safety;
- Improving street lighting;
- Improving the cycling network infrastructure;
- Reducing anti-social behaviour;
- Reducing congestion on the road network as short-distance journeys will be more accessible by walking, wheeling and cycling.
For high-resolution versions of the above plans, visit the Shropshire Council Flickr site.
