The second phase of a major highways project to reconstruct a key route into Burton has been completed.
The works, which started in March, saw highways crews reconstruct and resurface the A5121 Derby Road from James Brindley Way to the Pirelli roundabout.
This phase of the scheme, costing £1.25 million, involved resurfacing 19,000 square metres of road – equal to almost three times the size of a football pitch.
The work also included replacing over 450 metres of kerbs and 200 square metres of footpaths as well as drainage systems, signage, ironwork and bollards.
This highways improvement scheme is part of a £2.5 million Staffordshire County Council investment in Burton to rebuild the route from the A38 Clay Mills junction to Derby Turn in three phases.
Assistant Director for Highways and the Built County, James Bailey, said: “It is fantastic to see this milestone completion of the Derby Road project and I want to thank everyone for their patience over the last few months.
“Our teams worked very closely with businesses and stakeholders in the area both before and during the works to minimise disruption as much as possible. I’m pleased to say our crews have been highly praised for their management and regular updates throughout the scheme.
“Derby Road is a key route into Burton and the impact of high volumes of heavy traffic over the years meant that it needed reconstruction. Thanks to the efforts of our crews, residents can now look forward to smoother journeys for many years to come.”
The first phase of the project was completed at the A38 Clay Mills last year, costing half a million pounds.
The third and final phase will take place from the Pirelli roundabout to Derby Turn in March next year.
Dave Jarvis is the managing director of Albion Bathrooms Kitchens and Electricals, an independent business that has been operating in Burton for 18 years.
With the showroom being based just off Derby Road, Dave was initially apprehensive of the impact the roadworks would have on his business.
Dave said: “The roadworks were coordinated very well in that we thought that the road would have been shut for some considerable length of time while we were open. That didn’t happen.
“There were periods where half the road was closed and caused a little bit of congestion but nowhere near what we were expecting.”
The county council is delivering a major programme of improvements for Burton’s roads. This includes the ongoing Branston Interchange A38 junction scheme, which is part of a £6 million national investment in Burton’s highways over the next two years.
