MOTORISTS face another two years of hold-ups on a major route in and out of Coventry – just as the delayed Tollbar Island works are nearing completion.
Now being planned is a similar radical redesign of the nearby A46/A428 Binley junction on the Coventry/Rugby borough border – known as the ‘TGI roundabout’ where TGI Friday restaurant is a landmark. Work on the Walsgrave junction further along the A46 will follow.
The A46 is described by Highways England as a ‘strategic link’ between the East and West Midlands, connecting Coventry and Warwickshire to the motorway network – including Warwick district residents joining the M1 near Leicester.
The scheme is part of the government’s £15.2billion road investment programme, involving work to both Binley and Walsgrave junctions.
Highways England will progress with Binley first, helping to reduce congestion.
The A46 dual carriageway near the TGI roundabout will become a flyover with connections via slip roads.
Local traffic will continue to use the revised roundabout layout with access in place to and from the A46.
This will separate local traffic using the A428 from through-traffic, so drivers on the A46 no longer need to slow down for a roundabout, therefore improving traffic flow.
Highways England project manager, Malcolm Mitson, said: “This work will help alleviate congestion at this busy junction and improve journey times for motorists.
“As well as improving the flow of traffic, safety will be improved by separating local traffic from long-distance and business traffic.”
The scheme will take about two years to complete, says Highways England, with construction starting no later than March 2020 and opening to traffic in 2022.
During the work, Highways England has pledged to ‘minimise disruption to road users, local communities and the environment’.
The work will also incorporate improvements to the existing footway and cycle path.
Exhibitions this weekend will allow people to see plans and ask questions of the project team, at the Community Centre, at Warwickshire Shopping Park, Coventry, tomorrow (Friday), from 1pm to 8pm; and the following day at Binley Woods Village Hall, Rugby Road, Binley Woods, from 10am to 4pm.
