Leighton is set to face the second phase of town centre gridlock when workmen continue to dig up roads and pavements as the new year begins - and the disruption is expected to go on until May.
The transport scheme is designed to reduce traffic using Billington Road and improve the route for pedestrians, cyclists and residents from Sandhills by building roundabouts, taking away traffic lights, reducing speed limits and landscaping is to be constructed.
The works will use similar ideas to those used on Leighton Road, Linslade, and West Street, Leighton, and will include some traffic calming, traffic signal removal, carriageway narrowing and protected parking.
The end result is expected to be a free-flowing and safer town but Central Beds Council has put up notices warning drivers to expect 28 weeks of mayhem. Roundabouts are going in, traffic lights are coming out, speed limits are being reduced and landscaping is to be constructed.
In October it was announced the works would take over six months to be completed. Speaking then, Councillor Budge Wells, spokesman for the authority’s sustainable communities services, said: “Earlier in the year around 150 residents came along to an exhibition on these plans which will hopefully make a massive improvement to Lake Street, Billington Road and the surrounding area.
“There are substantial improvements to be made, which have to be implemented in stages and with the minimum disruption to road users, residents and businesses.
“We have, of course, planned the works with our contractor to minimise the inconvenience to the public and will use both diversions and traffic signals at different stages when appropriate.”
Phase two of the Leighton Buzzard Transport Scheme works are to commence in January 2013 and aren’t expected to be completed until May.
The full list of works are as follows:
- Street lighting upgrade throughout the scheme.
- Leston Road/Lake Street junction: Conversion of the existing t-junction to a mini-roundabout.
- Construction of a central island on Leston Road.
- Lake Street - Duncombe Drive to Old Chapel Mews: Footway surfacing to create a shared use path on the western side of Lake Street (including drainage works) with blocl paved edge sdetail and some landscaping works.
- Lake Street - Old Chapel Mews to Grove Road: Conversion of existing signal controlled crossing to a zebra crossing on a raised table and associated footway resurfacing/kerb line ammendments and drainage works.
- Lake Street - Grove Road to Lindler Court: footway widening (into the carriageway) and surfacing to create a shared use path on the western side.
- Lake Street - Outside Magnon Court: Conversion of the existing signal controlled crossing to a zebra crossing.
- Lake Street - Junction with Morrisons/Lindler Court: Conversion of existing signalised junction to a mini-roundabout.
- Lindler Court/Lake Street junction: raised courtesy crossing.
- Morrisons access: Conversion of existing signal controlled crossings to zebra crossings.
- Lake Street - outside Morrisons petrol station: New zebra crossing on a raised table, including drainage works.
- Lake Street - Lindler Court to Grovebury Road: Footwy widening (into the carriageway) and surfacing to create a shared use path on the western side, associaated draignage works and some landscaping works.
Grovebury Road: relocation of the existing zebra crosssing and footway resurfacing.
- Stanbridge Road - lake Street to Linwood Grove: Upgrading the existing central island and adding a second central island to assist pedestrains crossing, footway resurfacing, associated drainage and landscaping works.
- Ammendments to some of the drainage signs on Lake Street, Stanbridge Road and Grovebury Road.