Millions of pounds earmarked for highways investment

As part of £69 million expenditure on roads and bridges in Staffordshire, dozens of highways improvement projects are being lined up for the coming year.

Staffordshire County Council is planning targeted road safety and sustainable transport schemes, including upgrading busy junctions, updating traffic signals and improving footways and cycle paths, alongside regular highways maintenance and huge projects such as the Stafford Western Bypass and Lichfield Southern Bypass.

Other works 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: “Staffordshire has thousands of miles of highway network, from busy A-roads to narrow country lanes, that we maintain to keep this county connected.

“Our spring campaign of patching and repairing potholes caused by winter freezing and flooding will begin soon and there is always more to be done, but by investing millions of pounds in new roads, footpaths and cycleways, as well as improving junctions, signs and lighting we are prioritising schemes that make our highways safer for all and boost the county’s economy recovery from Covid-19.”

Projects being continued, or considered, in 2021/22, include:

• junction improvements at Freehay crossroads, near Cheadle;
• improved lighting and warning signs at the Wellington Road, Shobnall Road roundabout, Burton;
• improvements at the A53 junction with Three Mile Lane at Whitmore, near Newcastle;
• a new pedestrian crossing by Doxey Primary School, Stafford;
• accident reduction measures on part of A460 Lodge Lane, Cannock;
• improving signs to direct HGVs away from the B5404 Watling Street, Tamworth;
• a pedestrian link between Codsall train station and car park;
• improving signs, junctions and provision for pedestrians and cyclists in Burntwood.

Other schemes across wider areas of the county include:

• spending more than £1.8 million on Active Travel (walking and cycling) improvements, in Burton, Cannock, Newcastle and Stafford;
• upgrading traffic monitoring systems;
• traffic signal refurbishment;
• reviewing cycling projects with Sustrans;
• increasing network coverage and use by bus operators of ‘real time’ travel information.

David Williams added: “Often small schemes can make a big difference to their communities, which is why we’re looking at many projects that affect villages, or very specific parts of our towns.

“These local initiatives complement the multi-million investments and that’s one of the reasons each county councillor also has an allocation of £7,000 a year to put towards local projects however they think best.”