THE latest phase of a project to cut journey times for buses using St Margaret’s Bus Station is due to begin next week.
Changes are being made to the bus station to create a new exit directly onto the city’s inner ring road, which will shorten journeys by around six minutes.
The design means buses will no longer have to travel on a lengthier route along New Road, Gravel Street and Abbey Street to get onto Burley’s Way, which adds to the amount of traffic and increases passengers’ journey times.
Taking place from February 17 to April 17, the next phase will involve overnight work to make alterations to lanes on Burleys Way and Vaughan Way.
Various lane closures will only take place 7.30pm and 6am when there is less traffic using the inner ring road, with all noisy work ending by 11pm. Signs advising motorists of the work will be in place from this week.
When completed the scheme will also feature new traffic islands on Burleys Way, new footpaths, and a crossing point and guard rails along the front of the bus station itself. The bus station will remain open with bus services remaining unaffected.
A series of temporary night-time closures for resurfacing Burleys Way at the end of this phase of work will take from March 23 to 27.
The scheme is costing £750,000 and is funded from the Government’s National Productivity Investment Fund under its Bus Pinch Points project.
St Margaret’s Bus Station handles around 60 buses every hour, and has been at the centre of the city’s public transport system since 1985. It was last given a major refurbishment in 2007.
In addition to local services, it also handles coaches from National Express, with destinations including London Victoria coach station, and major cities including Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow airports.
Traffic and travel updates are available via Twitter from Area Traffic Control on @ATCLeicester
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