A NINE-MONTH project to upgrade a junction in Lichfield is set to begin next week.
Staffordshire County Council has confirmed work will start on the Eastern Avenue and Watery Lane junction on 27th January.
The upgrade will see additional lanes added along with new traffic lights, resurfacing and drainage and signage improvements.
The work – which is being funded as part of the new Curborough Lakes housing development on Watery Lane – is expected to be completed by November.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways, Cllr Mark Deaville, said:
“The upgrade to this junction is needed to provide safe access off the busy Eastern Avenue onto Watery Lane and what will be a substantial new homes development.
“This developer-funded scheme is scheduled for a late autumn finish and there will be some disruption during the works, so we’d like to thank people in advance for their patience.
“We will keep people update on progress and changes to traffic management throughout the scheme.”
Traffic management will be in place throughout the works, with different phases featuring temporary traffic lights and road closures.
More details are available on the Staffordshire County Council website.
Nine months to upgrade one minor junction?! Absolutely incredible.
What next ? As soon as they finish the road closure under the bridge they start on this road closure junction ? So I suppose once this one is finalised they will close the other junction at the Wood End Lane end for much needed road widening where the rubbish was dumped ? At least Lichfield planners are keeping factories making traffic lights busy ? Welcome to LOONY Land Folks !, SAD
It never ends. I feel so sorry for those businesses at Curborough Hall Farm Countryside Centre.
The elephant in the room is the choke point under the railway. Will there be more traffic lights to control this. It is a very short distance from the bypass and will cause dangerous road blockages. The council has effectively made this a no go area. As for the development, we’ll keep your wellingtons handy!
As I predicted this happening about a year ago, I also predict that there will be similar works at the j Curborough Rd/ Eastern Ave junction when the new sports centre has been built.
Less than a week’s notice. How long has this been planned ?
It appears that Watery Lane has not been widened to allow access to the new development. Surely that should have been the first thing to be done ?
I see that road works are also starting soon near the Bowling Green – no details – and there are also road works near the Samuel Johnson Hospital. Work is also on-going for the new leisure centre which has already caused some disruption due to faulty temporary traffic lights, twice. Anything else we should know about ?
With all these roads being updated ,isn’t it about time that a traffic light filter was installed at the friersgate junction for going into town before an accident happens
Elsewhere in the country, this type of junction requirement tends to be provided with a roundabout. Staffordshire road users are being short-changed, but there again the County Council seems to have little confidence in drivers’ skills and prefers to get them wholly stationary at junctions to combat those with a death wish.
“Bypass” has been used to describe Eastern Avenue, but with the increasing number of junctions necessitating stationary vehicles, “passing” traffic throughout this route will be a rarity as it will merely be hopping from stationary junction to stationary junction.
Wily motorists will soon seek preferred alternatives and will exasperate residents as the whole City snarls up. (both vehicular and emotionally).
High time residents should remember LDC refused planning permission for the Curborough Lakes development for the very reasons everyone is moaning about …again!
You can’t have a major housing development off an unsuitable country lane without major infrastructure put in place, all the expected utilities unless there’s a magic wand. In the absence of that per verbal magic wand, the works have to take place.
No doubt, I’ll get a whole load of negative comments for saying so, but eh oh!
Why wasn’t the work on the Eastern Avenue junction started when Watery Lane was closed last June? It would be nearly finished now.
Watery Lane is used as a rat run by a lot of warehouse operatives working at Tescos, Screw fix and Cotswold etc. I know because I’m one of them. The build up of traffic will only worsen with the addition of six new warehouses under construction.
Jill, that would be common sense and sadly there is not a lot of it about. The poem “The death of common sense” is a funny but poignant reminder of this. I’ve refrained from posting in the comments as it’s quite long, but easy to find on the internet.