Posted on Tuesday 11th December 2018
Image of MacArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands in Cannock
Work is progressing at a major Staffordshire road scheme which will provide access to a new £160 million retail development and improve traffic flow on the roads around it.
The works being carried out by the county council will pave the way for the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Cannock, which is set to open in 2020. McArthurGlen has committed £15million to the improvement scheme, taking place at Churchbridge and the A460 Eastern Way.
From today work will start on the construction of a temporary road alongside the A460 Eastern Way, which will carry traffic when sections of the main road are closed for works. In order for this work to take place, the pavement along the A460 Eastern Way will be closed from the Hayes Way junction to the junction with the A5190 Lichfield Road. The closure will be in place until the temporary road has been completed.
An alternative route for pedestrians is available via the a A5190 Lichfield Road, Sparrowhawk Way, Pheasant Way, Hayes Way and vice versa.
Hayes Way is now closed from the junction of Eastern Way to Pheasant Way so the access works can be carried out safely. The closure will be in place for the duration of the works. Bus companies have been notified and people are being advised to check diversions with bus operators if their route runs along Hayes Way.
By closing this junction, the project team will only need to have three-way temporary signals, rather than four-way. This will significantly reduce waiting traffic when compared with four-way signals.
The closed link means that traffic is now unable to join the A460 from Hayes Way and is unable to turn into Hayes Way from the A460 island. Local traffic needs to use the alternate routes of Hayes Way and Heath Way to access the Lichfield Road A5190 or the Hednesford Road B4154. The A460 will remain open to traffic.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport Helen Fisher said:
This is vital scheme and is moving to another phase next week as the work begins to build the temporary road. This will enable traffic flow to continue while work is carried out on the A460. Unfortunately, it means the pavement along the A460 will need to be closed off.
The road improvement scheme is therefore vital in paving the way for the development. Undoubtedly it is creating some disruption in the area but it is a necessary part of the development. Traffic management has been carefully planned to minimise disruption as much as is possible. We would ask people to allow additional time if traveling along this section of the A460 and would like to thank people for their ongoing patience.”
Cannock Chase District Council granted planning approval for a designer outlet at Mill Green in September 2016 following extensive consultations with the local community. On-site construction of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Cannock started this summer.
The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet is a hugely important development for Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Once open, it will create 1000 new retail jobs, supporting around £20 million of employment income for the local economy annually. The centre will also attract more visitors into Cannock, growing local tourism spend by more than £3 million every year.
The county council and development partner Amey are carrying out the road infrastructure works, which will include;
- Access works and improvements on the A460 Eastern Way, Churchbridge interchange and Orbital Way.
- Widening the A460 Eastern Way to a dual carriageway and creating slip roads to the designer outlet.
- A new underpass and access to the site from the A460. New footpaths and cycle ways will also be installed. Before the underpass is built, a temporary road will be built so no closures of the A460 are needed during peak times and traffic can continue to flow.
- Widening both the eastern and western A460 legs at the Churchbridge junction to provide two lanes in both directions
- Widening Orbital Way on the eastbound side, improving the Lodge Lane and Churchbridge roundabouts and installing new toucan crossings on Eastern Way.