A BUSY junction in the north-west of the city will be closed to traffic this weekend as improvements works begin.
Bennion Road, in Beaumont Leys, will be closed at its junction with the Anstey Lane roundabout for one day on Sunday 26 March. The closure is to allow for the removal of the central islands close to the junction, as work on the first phase of highway improvements gets underway.
Leicester City Council is planning to carry out a range of improvements on Bennion Road, which will include the creation of new cycle tracks on both sides of the road between its junction with Anstey Lane and Beaumont Way, close to Beaumont Shopping Centre.
More space for walking, wheeling and cycling will be created by removing the central hatched area of the road to narrow the carriageway but still maintain two lanes for traffic in both directions.
New crossings will be installed on Bennion Road and Beaumont Way close to the Beaumont Way Roundabout. Changes will also be made to the main bus interchange close to Beaumont Shopping Centre to provide ‘Dutch-style’ bus stop bays. These will channel cyclists behind the shelters, helping to improve safety for all road users.
Works on Bennion Road are expected to take up to nine months to complete.
Two further one-day road closures are planned, on Sunday 23 April and Sunday 21 May.
Traffic flow will be maintained in both directions throughout the works at all other times.
A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: “This latest round of highway improvements will further extend the network of safe routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists out into local neighbourhoods.
“Every effort has been made to minimise disruption to traffic while works are carried out.”
The improvements are the latest phase of a major programme of highways improvements – called the North-West Green Growth Corridor – that aims to encourage more people to make the shift to cleaner, greener and more affordable forms of transport for short journeys.
The North-West Green Growth Corridor programme represents investment of over £35million in this part of the city, supported by the Transforming Cities Fund.
It includes major improvements to nearby Anstey Lane; Abbey Park Road; the A6 St Margaret’s Way; Braunstone Gate; Parker Drive and Beaumont Leys Lane; and the A50 Fiveways junction and adjoining roads, among others.
The Transforming Cities Fund is a major citywide programme of investment in sustainable transport, backed by £40million of Government cash from the Department for Transport. The ambitious package of works will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to get to work, education, shops and other local facilities to help support the city’s growth and deliver on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and health living commitments.