Delight as relief road opens
Monday 9th March 2009, 3:00PM GMT.
After a wait of almost 30 years, Bridgnorth’s Whitburn Street relief road was officially opened today with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the road’s officials.
Councillors, contractors and residents, turned out in force to see the opening of the road, which has been almost three decades in the making.
Councillor Elizabeth Yeomans, leader of Bridgnorth District Council, said: “It’s wonderful to see it open, it’s gone on for some years.
“We’ve got the relief road to completion after many negotiations and much hard work. I’m grateful to everyone who’s been involved, the contractors, Sainsbury’s and the district council.”
The next stage, which starts this weekend, is to turn Whitburn Street into a one-way system.
The development has also seen the regeneration of the existing car parks and a new access road to Bridgnorth Hospital.
Sainsbury’s has carried out the work as part of a development package after striking a deal with Bridgnorth District Council. The scheme includes extending the Sainsbury’s store and building a DIY warehouse. The relief road was earmarked as a priority.
Councillor Ed Shirley said: “It’s a big day for the district council. For many years we have been working trying to get this site developed. It’s very good that this has happened prior to March 31 when the unitary comes in.
It’s a pleasure to see it open, this site has needed developing for many years. Lets hope that the benefits to Bridgnorth are what everybody wants them to be.”
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not very good for the envrionment though
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I used the road for the first time this morning…
And ….
Had to stop at the pedestrian crossing just after joining the road from the Northgate end, and then again at the next island for traffic turning right against me , and then “again” at the next island and then finally waited in a queue of 5 vehicles waiting to turn right at the mini island at Whitburn Street.
Would have been a lot quicker going down Whitburn street as before !!!
Was this worth waiting 30 years for ??
…….
We shall see with baited breath if this road DOES make any REAL difference to the current problems (i.e Jams backing well up past Rutters Garage to Victoria road and beyond, and similarly in the other direction down to the Severn Valley Railway entrance etc.
We shall see ….. !!
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Hooray at last! I drove down it this afternoon and it was like a dream, not a bit of traffic on it! I don’t suppose it will stay this way forever though!
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@green boy: you’d rather see cars queueing the length of Whitburn Street, pumping out fumes and going nowhere?
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It is green boy, as the traffic will continue to move instead of running idle whilst waiting in Whitburn Street.
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at last, i wont have to cycle to work anymore, i can drive without having to wait in congestion, great news
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Not very good for the environment!! Nonsense, there will be no standing queue’s of traffic at the top of Whitburn street spewing out Carbon Dioxides and traffic will flow better making engines more efficient The new road will make it a far better environment for the people of and visitors to Bridgnorth.
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excellent for the economy and actually improve the environment, as flowing moving traffic is better than congested cars belching out fumes on our ancient buildings and poeple
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It’ll do some good , but we need to reduce the amount of traffic at the same time. (Good cheap public transport is a start)
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has anyone tried getting out of sainsbury carpark since?? I did, and it took forever to get out as there were to many people ‘not’ letting people out of sainsbury’s. Maybe another exit out of sainsbury’s would be useful??
I was nice going down whitburn street though….
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excellent work by conservatives in council to make life easiest for the motorist depsite clown brown and the EU’s anti car agenda
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JJ..
From my observations so far… and from those nearby who have also observed, the reason why you observed “not a bit of traffic on it” is becuase most traffic was still going up Whitburn Street!!
And why not?? what’s the point in using the relief road if you wish to go into the town centre?
There is no doubt this road will make a difference to the traffic entering the high street, as obviously traffic going to the innage, and Brosley, will use the relief road, (and vice-versa) … but .. will it REALLY make a difference to the traffic negotioating Salop Street / End of Whitburn Street …. as I mentioned earlier?
I have seen all this before when I live on the outskirts of London. Build a “relief road” etc, and it just moves the same problem further on!!
We will see……
I hope this road does make difference but I have my doubts.
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the buses in Bridgnorth are prehistoric, belching out black smoke, no bike lanes either yet theres money for new roads!
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Now lets look at more pedestrianisation in bridgnorth and lock in these benefits
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Jonty -
So just how does pedestrianisation lock in / bring benefits?
The fact is the motor car has been here for 100 years or so – and provides a very good and effective transport system for a wide section of the community, and can’t just be “got rid” of by pedestrianisation.
People need to move goods around – and we can’t carry much as a pedestrian!
So if I want to buy more than a couple of bags of weekly shopping, say a new Fridge, TV , Freezer, other heavy items… then how do I do that then?
As I said earlier… Ive seen all this 20-30 years before where I used to live – and all this did was to kill off the heart of the town – Viz: Move the cattle market, small specialist shops move on , street market gives up, put in new bypass road, close roads / one way systems …. and finally … Pedestrianisation.
Does all this sound familiar ?? Becuase that’s exactly what is happening in Bridgnorth.
Give it another 2-3 years and see what hapeens to Bridgnorth Town. Words “town” and “ghost” spring to mind.
We shall see.
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