Traffic light upgrades coming to Shrewsbury after fire engines were reportedly 'stuck for minutes' near railway station
Traffic congestion near Shrewsbury railway station will "ease" with upcoming traffic light upgrades, Shropshire Council has promised, following concerns about delays to emergency vehicles.
Residents reported that fire engines responding to an emergency appeared to be "stuck for minutes" under the railway bridge in Shrewsbury on Saturday (September 20), raising concerns about access for emergency services during busy periods.
Speaking to the Shropshire Star, a resident who wished to remain anonymous said traffic under the bridge was at a "standstill" causing the fire engines to be "stuck for what seemed like ages" on blue lights and sirens.
"You could hear the sirens for quite some time under the bridge, it's worrying," they said.
In response, Shropshire Council acknowledged congestion issues in the station gyratory area and said it was aware of "concerns" over potential delays to emergency services.
However, the council said no formal issues have been raised by the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, and that improvements are on the way with the installation of upgraded traffic light software - which it says will significantly improve traffic flow.
A "sophisticated" traffic signal control system, known as MOVA (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation), will be installed. The system uses sensors and wireless technology to monitor real-time traffic conditions and adjust signal timings accordingly. It will also allow traffic lights in the area to be synchronised.
"Congestion in the railway station area of Shrewsbury is set to ease when new software is installed on the traffic lights in the area," a Shropshire Council spokesperson said.
"During the work in the station gyratory area Shropshire Council and its contractors have worked hard to minimise queues and congestion where possible, with regular visits by signals engineers to adjust timings on both the temporary and permanent lights.
"Once the lights have been upgraded it is likely that congestion issues will ease, though the council will continue to monitor the situation for a short time afterwards."
The new traffic light system is due to be installed from next Monday (September 29). However, the council said some final below-ground vehicle detectors still need to be installed under Smithfield Road towards the bus station.
If possible, the council will aim to partially commission the new signals, but it said full activation may need to be co-ordinated with the installation of the remaining detectors so that the entire gyratory can operate synchronously.
In response to public concern about emergency access, the council added that it has not received any formal reports of delays from the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service or other emergency services.
"The council is aware of concerns over potential delays to emergency services due to congestion issues," the spokesperson said.
"However, we have been in contact with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and aren’t aware of any issues raised by them, or by the other emergency services, in recent days. The emergency services are consulted on changes to the road network as a matter of course. Nevertheless, the software upgrade will improve the situation."
