Short-term fix for Shrewsbury’s controversial gyratory helping emergency crews clear congestion

Shropshire Council says new measures to help fire crews navigate the Shrewsbury station gyratory are already working, after months of criticism over the £3.8 million scheme.

Last year, two lanes of Castle Foregate were converted into one, allowing for the installation of a cycle path and a “floating” bus stop.

The controversial scheme cost around £3.8m of government funding and has attracted criticism from residents, local businesses and the county’s fire service.

Following a fatal early-hours fire in Shrewsbury town centre in January, Shropshire’s fire chief warned that - had the incident occurred in the middle of the day - the gyratory could have impacted the service’s response times.

Since then the fire service has put forward solutions to help its crews navigate the bus stop by using the cycle lane as an emergency vehicle route.

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said recent call outs have shown the system to be effective, with the crews navigating heavy congestion in under 60 seconds.

They added: “Alongside this immediate solution, the council is checking the position and clearance of the variable message sign to make sure it provides enough space for emergency vehicles.

“If changes are needed, these can be made, either by adjusting the sign’s position or its orientation.”

The council said it was “committed to ongoing collaboration” with the fire service in order to improve the gyratory.

Councillor Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and economic growth, said: “It’s vitally important that our emergency services are able to respond quickly to incidents, especially when there is congestion.

“I am pleased that by working together we have been able to identify a solution. Moving forwards this must be a key determining factor in Shropshire Council’s decision-making related to any future changes.”

Simon Hardiman, chief fire officer for Shropshire, added: “Working with colleagues at Shropshire Council has enabled improvements to be made to assist the service when responding to emergency incidents.

“A critical element of an emergency response is the ability to make safe and effective progress when travelling under blue light conditions through areas of high congestion.

“The use of the cycle lane for emergency vehicles has been assessed and is proving beneficial in reaching people when they need us the most.”