Weeks of delays expected for Town Centre traffic
Motorists in Tamworth Town Centre can expect weeks of delays as the latest improvement works to ‘The Upper Gungate Corridor’ start next week.
Earlier this year, Staffordshire County Council announced a string of improvement works for what is describes as ‘The Upper Gungate Corridor’ and the scheme now moves on to its final stage at the junctions of Lichfield St / Aldergate, Bell Corner and the Offa Drive / Gungate junction.
The Upper Gungate Corridor runs roughly north-south through the Tamworth urban area, carrying traffic from the A513 (along part of the Corridor) and B5493.
The corridor runs from Fountains junction, where Comberford Rd and Ashby Rd meet, along Upper Gungate and Aldergate to Lichfield Street at the western side of the town centre. Estimated cost of the whole project is £1.8 million and is due to be completed by Spring 2015.
The purpose of the scheme is to implement a package of improvements to reduce congestion and provide better highway capacity along this Corridor.
Works to the Upper Gungate / Croft St junction as well as the Fountain Junction were completed earlier in the year and the final stage is due to begin on January 5, lasting approximately 12 weeks.
What’s happening at Lichfield St / Aldergate Junction?
It is proposed that the present junction will be widened to the south side of Lichfield St so that traffic can move from Lichfield St to Aldergate and from Aldergate to Lichfield St at the same time. (With the present layout this cannot happen as large vehicles from Lichfield St need to use both sides of the road to get around the corner by the White Lion Public House.) The traffic lights will remain in place and will allow turning traffic to enter Silver Street and exit Church Street and Silver Street when required.
What’s happening at Hospital St / Aldergate (Bell Corner)?
Traffic signal equipment is being upgraded to give better timing control and thereby reduce delays to traffic. These signals will be linked with others along the length of the corridor and co-ordinated to act as a single system.
What’s happening at Offadrive / Gungate Junction?
As at Hospital Street junction, traffic signal equipment is being upgraded to give better timing control and thereby reduce delays to traffic. These signals will be linked with others along the length of the corridor and co-ordinated to act as a single system.
What will the benefits be?
Traffic travelling between Aldergate and Lichfield Street will have a green light most of the time. The only times when this will not be the case is when vehicles wanting to turn out of Silver Street or Church St are detected or pedestrians want to cross the road. When one of these happens, a different phase of the traffic lights will trigger to allow the pedestrians or turning traffic to proceed safely.
What disruption will there be?
The Lichfield Street/Aldergate junction normally operates under traffic signals. During the construction work this will still be the case, however passing through the junction is likely to take longer than usual.
Areas of footway will be closed or restricted at various times during the construction work. Diversions will be signed.
Towards the end of the construction work, there will be local road closures to allow re-surfacing to take place. These will be at quiet times for a short duration.
Comment
If you would like to comment on the scheme or suggest improvements, please contact Neil Porter (01785 276573 - [email protected]) or Guy Pryer (01785 276684 - [email protected] ).
Looking at it looks the same as fountain junction!!! God help us !!!!
Its not the fact they are doing the work, its the bloody time it takes them
Call me blonde !!?? But does this mean they are taking the traffic lights out ?
Thats what it looks like to me aswell
No Amanda, full details in the article.
If their not taking the lights out ??? What the hell is the point , or am I missing something ?
So traffic can move from Aldergate on to Lichfield Street and vice versa at the same time, which you can’t currently do as it is too narrow for large vehicles. Reading the article as previously advised would have told you that!
Oooooh ok that’s me told !
She was only asking a question. That is why it’s called Tamworth informed isn’t it!
Looks like a waste of money and disruption to us all !!!!
Spending more of lichfield city council money. Tamworth you make me SICK
How is this spending “Lichfield City Council money”? This is being carried out by Staffordshire County Council highways department and thus is being funded by central government which as a tax payer in Tamworth I have contributed towards.
Makes me SICK when people put uneducated comments on an informative page.
Nothing to with lichfields money Staffordshire county council is allowed to make improvements to traffic flow in our town. just because its work on lichfield street does not mean its anything to do with lichfield
Have you not read the article Ashley or are you just a troll?
Still a shithole lol
Looks like very little will be achieved from this…is it another case if Tamworth Borough Council needing to ‘use it or lose it’ from their budget. I was once told that the reason they used to dig up Sainsburys island every year was to use up surplus as if they didn’t they couldn’t get it next year….
It’s not Tamworth Borough Council. Nothing to do with them
surley the lights can not be taken away when we have 4 roads at that junction it just wont work.leave it as it is its fine and spend the money repairing the town’s roads that are still in a bad state..!!
The lights aren’t being taken away!?
Carl Salat worth letting work now?
About time they improved this junction as some drivers take the mickey going thru on red by council, yet again I see soooo many negative comments, how about we wait and see what happens eh?
There are far more roads in Tamworth needing work doing on them, who on earth makes these stupid decisions?
@Ashley Jones. How is this spending “Lichfield City Council money”? This is being carried out by Staffordshire County Council highways department and thus is being funded by central government which as a tax payer in Tamworth I have contributed towards.
Makes me SICK when people put uneducated comments on an informative page.
If I’m reading the article correctly, does that mean the crossing by Pizza Hut, will them lights allow pedestrians to cross when the ones at the main junction and vice versa. As that to me causes congestion round that area. You clear the council offices just get round to white lion/Methodist church then come to stand still, which then causes traffic to build up actually around and on the junction itself
Let’s see how much of a balls up they make of this supposed ‘improvement’ !!!…. If it ends up like the debacle they made of the island by Morrisons, and Ventura park lights, I hope they have the nerve to admit they got it wrong!!!…. Again!!
Look a pretty pointless modification from my laymans perspective and as many other folk have pointed out there are far needier pieces of road that would benefit from the limited funds available ;-(
How is this an improvement?
Ah good old SCC road ‘improvements’ to make traffic flow better!! Going on past experience of these schemes in other towns, it might be the opposite and cause longer delays.
Be much better that traffic can flow both ways at same time.
It’s quite ironic that for years the Council (don’t care if it Tamworth or Staffordshire) have spent so much money on driving traffic (and people) out of the town center and now that all the people and cars have gone, they now want to spend more (of our) money on roads that no one now uses; genius ;-/
You haven’t been there for a while then?
I have and I know traffic can back up a bit. However traffic has grown exponetially over the last few year and shaving a bit road of here and putting a bit of road there is going to solve the problem of years of lack of investment. I love Tamworth and it saddens me to see what they’ve done to my town ;-(
Looks good in theory. Will be interesting to see how two buses or maybe something else large like the coop delivery trucks cope passing simultaneously by the white lion, but I guess as it appears they’re taking out all the “pedestrian guard rails” we can predict how they’ll improvise
If the road planning is to be done by the same people who planned the traffic lights at the Asda roundabout, God help us. Road planners are just jobsworth. There are plenty of roads with potholes that are more worthy of cash than the ones with their idea of ‘lets alter roads and see what chaos we can cause.’
Personnel, I think the money would be much better spent sorting out the traffic problems around Ventura park.
Gonna be fun on the buses!
The phrase, ” you cannot polish a turd” springs to mind!
Political accuracy is irrelevant, everyone is allowed their opinions, so why do so many ” well-meaning” individuals think its their duty to bore people with facts!
Happy New Year!