The next stage of works begins this week on a multi-million-pound highway project at a key Staffordshire gateway junction.
The A38 Branston Interchange project, near Burton, aims to ease congestion, increase capacity and support future long-term economic growth.
Improvements includes creating additional lanes around the junction, on the slip roads and on Branston Road and Parkway. New traffic signals will also be installed.
The latest work now taking place includes the installation of new islands and signals and means there is a no right turn instruction into the B5018 from Parkway until mid-July.
The traffic management layout also prevents vehicles turning right out of the B5018 into Parkway.
In addition, there are lane closures on the approaches to the junction. Manual controls of the permanent lights on First Avenue are helping with traffic flow.
Overnight on Friday April 19, the northbound off slip road will be closed to install safety measures, with night-time closures also planned for Parkway westbound and Main Street junction on May 8, 9 and 10 for surfacing.
A £6 million allocation from the government’s Levelling Up Fund and a significant contribution from the main developer of the Branston Locks site, Nurton Developments, are funding the scheme.
In addition to improving traffic flow around the junction, the project provides key transport infrastructure for the ongoing homes and employment development at Branston Locks and Burton’s future economic growth.
Work is set to be completed in spring 2025.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways Mark Deaville said: “We understand there will be some disruption while traffic management for which we’d like to apologise in advance for, but it is necessary to enable us to move forward in bringing future growth and prosperity to the town and wider area.”
The county council recently upgraded Burton’s northern A38 junction at Claymills and is making further improvements along the northern gateway route this year together with improvements on the east-west A511 to ensure all other routes into the town are accessible during the Branston works.
Regular updates on progress can be found by visiting the project webpage.
