Next phase of Telford ring road works to start
Work will begin next week on the next stage of a multi-million pound project to make a Telford ring-road two way.
Since the start of the year, sections of the Box Road will be closed in turn while the work takes place to open-up the current one-way system to two-way traffic.
The next closure will start on May 12 where Woodhouse Central into Forgegate, will be closed for up to 6 weeks, 24 hours a day. Traffic will still, however, be able to travel from Woodhouse Central into Lawn Central and Forgegate in to Lawn Central.
Traffic will be diverted will be via Lawn Central, Hollinsgate and Rampart Way.
Also from May 12 there will be overnight closures at the junction of Malinsgate, Coach Central and Woodhouse Central for 5 nights between 7pm and 6am and again on Tuesday May 27 for 4 nights between 7pm and 6am to allow surfacing work to be carried out on the new roundabout.
Work will be carried out overnight to avoid disruption to the public and fully signed diversions will be maintained.
Telford town centre will be open for business as usual throughout the works - which are set to be finished by Spring 2015.
The work to improve the road has been started to improve access to Telford Shopping Centre ahead of the £250 million Southwater development and following new housing developments at Lawley, Lightmoor and the Telford Millennium Community at Ketley alone providing over 5,000 new homes.
The work will also provide improved access into all parts of the town centre for everyone, giving better pedestrian connections between the shopping centre, which is also about to receive a £200m investment in facilities and the Southwater development.
The Department of Transport has awarded over 60 per cent of the funding to carry out this work and this has been matched with local funding by developers and Telford and Wrekin Council.
Councillor Hilda Rhodes, cabinet member for Transport, said: "Work is still progressing well and we are still expecting it to finish in spring next year.
"We would obviously like to apologise for any disruption and inconvenience that has been caused but making the Box Road two way will have significant long term benefits for the town."
The first phase of the project to improve Malinslee Roundabout has already been completed, with improvements to pedestrian and cycle facilities and new traffic signals on the roundabout.
