A £43-milion road, key to the further development of a Stoke-on-Trent regeneration zone, opens to traffic later today but commuters are being warned of several weeks of upgrading works to support the scheme.
The Etruria Valley Link Road – which connects the A500 at Wolstanton to Festival Park – is set to become a vital transport route and will ease traffic congestion. It will also improve access to the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone.
Motorists will be able to use the 1.2km road for the first time during the evening rush hour on Monday.
However, road users are being made aware that another month’s worth of work is to be carried out in the surrounding area to maximise traffic congestion easing and enhance safety.
From today, work to support the multi-million-pound scheme will begin at the junction of Grange Lane (A527) and Church Lane (B5368) in Wolstanton.
The work will see the existing junction upgraded to help improve traffic flow and minimise congestion. It is expected to see the existing signalised junction converted into a mini roundabout complete with signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.
The majority of the work will be carried out during daytime hours but there will be a small period – towards the end of the project – where night-time closures will be required to enable the carriageway to be resurfaced.
Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure, and heritage at Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “We are in the final stages of one of the biggest transport infrastructure projects Stoke-on-Trent has seen in decades.
“This final piece of work will see an upgrade to the junction which will improve traffic flow whilst also ensuring pedestrian safety.
“We thank residents and vehicle users for their patience during this time.”
Work started on the link road, delivered by Balfour Beatty, in October 2020. It features a viaduct over the West Coast Mainline and Fowlea Brook, a new bridge over the Trent and Mersey Canal and a brand new roundabout complete with a Spitfire statue constructed by KMF.
