Dozens of highways improvement projects to ease traffic flow, improve safety and support cycling have been approved.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet today approved plans targeting road safety and sustainable transport schemes, including the upgrade of busy junctions, updating traffic signals and improving footways and cycle paths.
Other works signed off for the next 12 months include local speed limit changes, restricting heavy vehicle access and introducing parking schemes.
David Williams, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “We will be spending £69 million in the next 12 months on building new roads, footpaths and cycleways, as well as improving certain junctions, signs and lighting.
“We are prioritising schemes that make our highways safer for all users, however they get about.”
While work continues with large infrastructure projects such as the Lichfield Southern Bypass and the Stafford Western Bypass, targeted projects being continued, or started in 2021/22 include:
- spending more than £1.8 million on Active Travel (walking and cycling) improvements, in Burton, Cannock, Newcastle and Stafford;
- increasing network coverage and use by bus operators of ‘real time’ travel information;
- targeting roads susceptible to skidding in wet weather;
- improvements in Swynnerton village;
- improvements to the A34 Queensville roundabout;
- junction improvements at Freehay crossroads, near Cheadle;
- improved lighting and warning signs at the Wellington Road, Shobnall Road roundabout, Burton;
- safety work on the A53 by the Mainwaring Arms, Whitmore;
- work to address congestion and road speed in Newborough;
- traffic calming in Stramshall;
- improving signs to direct HGVs away from the B5404 Watling Street, Tamworth.
David Williams added: “Our spring campaign of patching and repairing potholes caused by the frosts and floods of winter is about to begin and we will be tackling thousands of small repairs at the same time as delivering schemes and projects that will make a difference to people’s lives.”
