New road plans for the A5 through Towcester to provide ‘traffic calming’

New road plans for the A5 through Towcester are set to bring “traffic calming” measures to the town. National Highways has announced its preferred option for the scheme to “improve the lives of those who live, work and visit” the Northamptonshire town.

It is following a public consultation last August and September and the project will improve road safety and accessibility, improve air quality and reduce noise impact by reducing traffic through the town centre, according to National Highways.

The new plans will also “support economic growth by making the high street through Towcester a more attractive place to visit” and preserve the “history and identity” of the town.

READ MORE: Warning after two Northamptonshire kitchen fires thanks to cooking oil being left unattended on hob

National Highways Engineering Team Manager Mark Roxburgh said: “Towcester has longstanding issues with the high levels of traffic passing through its historic town centre, causing environmental, safety and accessibility concerns to residents and businesses.

“Due to the new link road being built between the A5 and A43, we are now able to investigate options for improving the town centre. The scheme we will be taking forward into the Preliminary Design stage aims to encourage through traffic, particularly goods vehicles, to use the new link road and the A43 as an alternative to the A5.

“This will alleviate some of the more disruptive traffic from the town centre, improving accessibility and quality of life in Towcester. During the next stage, we will also be updating our business case to help secure the funding needed to complete the final design stage and deliver the scheme.”

The preferred Option A, which garnered the most support during last year’s consultation, will provide:

• Gateway signing into the town
• Updated signing to direct through traffic via the link road and A43 rather than through Towcester
• A 7.5t environmental weight restriction between the new link road and Old Tiffield Road/Old Green’s Norton Road junction
• Reduced speed limits of 30mph on the approaches to the town and 20mph through the town centre
• Off-carriageway cycle facilities between the new link road and Vernon Road and between the Police Station Old Tiffield Road/Old Green’s Norton Road junction
• New benches and a raised carriageway with changes to its appearance, on Silverstone Brook Bridge to create a town centre gateway and improve pedestrian safety
• A reduction in car parking in the Market Square to provide an attractive open public space in the centre of the town. This will include introducing changes in colour and texture in keeping with the conservation area, adding in benches, planting and artwork. Disabled parking provision will be maintained.
• Town centre enhancements with visually narrowed and textured carriageway and uncontrolled crossing points
• Enhanced bus stops and provision of designated loading areas within the town centre
• Upgraded signalised pedestrian crossings with new equipment
• Signalisation of the Old Tiffield Road junction to provide safe crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists and improve the safety and movement of traffic through the junction.

Mark added: “The purpose of the consultation was to provide the local community and stakeholders with the opportunity to have their say on our proposals and share their ideas, concerns and local knowledge with us. We received almost 200 responses and we’d like to thank people for engaging with us, giving us their feedback and making suggestions for improvements.

“The feedback was extremely useful in helping us understand how the local community currently uses the town centre and the A5 through Towcester, and what people thought about our proposals for implementing the measures outlined in the options. We can now move to the next stage and develop preliminary designs for the proposals.”

Many of the comments received during the consultations identified specific concerns with the original proposals or alternative options. National Highways said it will now develop more detail on the overall design and continue to work closely with West Northamptonshire Council to ensure the proposals compliment Towcester’s historic setting and road, walking and cycling networks.

Get the latest and breaking news from Northamptonshire by signing up for our newsletter here.

READ NEXT: