Posted on Wednesday 28th July 2021
David Williams at the Stafford Western Access Route construction site
A multi-million-pound project to support Stafford’s regeneration moves to its next phase next week as the whole scheme nears completion.
The Stafford Western Access Route will ease congestion in the town centre and lay the foundations for future growth. It will be completed in the autumn.
Construction began in summer 2019. It will enable millions of pounds worth of new housing and business development to take place. The road will also improve traffic flow in the town centre, particularly by the railway station. Work has continued safely throughout the pandemic period.
Work has started on the installation of new toucan crossings along Martin Drive and Kingsway, Castlefields. The road next to the crossings will be resurfaced on Monday, August 2 and will take five days. For work to be carried out safely, Kingsway and will be closed to traffic at its junction with Newport Road and also Martin Drive at its junction with Unicorn Way. A signed diversion will be in place and pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained.
Early this month, work on the Doxey Road bridge was completed ahead of schedule, following the opening of a new section of road, Unicorn Way, at the beginning of the year. A new viaduct has been built over the River Sow to provide the connection to the retail park and the A34 Foregate Street. Seventy-two steel beams – each weighing 58 tonnes – form the base of the viaduct. The final section of the route to open runs across the viaduct.
The road is being funded by developers and with £15.5million secured by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership through the Government’s Local Growth Fund. Both the county and borough councils also contributed to the scheme.
People can view the latest progress drone footage of the project at: https://youtu.be/7R2KqTxQYbs
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport David Williams said:
The project is rapidly approaching completion which is a great achievement for the team who have been working hard throughout the pandemic period.
This phase of the works will see pedestrian improvements with the installation of new toucan crossings in Castlefields. We will need to close those sections of road and put in place a short diversion for five days so would like to thank people for their patience while work is carried out.
The Stafford Western Access Route is a huge project for the town and Staffordshire, and one of the biggest engineering schemes the county council has undertaken in over a decade.
It has carried out comprehensive engagement with communities and businesses throughout which has been extremely important.”
Anyone wanting further information about the Stafford Western Access Route can email: staffordwestern.accessroute@staffordshire.gov.uk
The road will link the A34 Foregate Street at Madford Retail Park to the A518 Newport Road Castlefields junction. The road will help improve traffic flow in Gaol Square, Newport Road (east of Kingsway), Station Road, Chell Road, A34 Foregate Street (south of the scheme) and Doxey Road.
The scheme will include improved conditions for bus services, pedestrians and cyclists. There will also be environmental benefits through the redevelopment of areas of derelict land and landscaping along the route.