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Roundtable held on major Rugby road improvements

Published: Thursday 10 October 2021

Regional transport chiefs have met with councillors and local business leaders to discuss road improvements in Rugby. The £22 million project to improve Avon Mill Roundabout is a package of upgrades designed to boost connectivity for local residents and businesses by reducing congestion at a major bottleneck in Rugby, one of the fastest growing towns in the country. The proposals will also help to improve bus service reliability and make walking and cycling more attractive options for local journeys.

Attending the meeting organised by sub-national transport body Midlands Connect were Mark Pawsey MP for Rugby and Bulkington, Deputy Leader of Warwickshire County Council Councillor Peter Butlin, CEO of Midlands Connect Maria Machancoses and others.

The package of works to reduce congestion north of Rugby town centre includes:

  • Enlargement of Avon Mill roundabout
  • Widening the entries to all three lanes
  • Widening or new/improved exits on A426 and A4071 Newbold Road
  • Replacing Hunters Lane junction with a new roundabout
  • Short length of dual carriageway at Hunters Lane to connect the two roundabouts and a new River Avon bridge

Long queues on the approaches to Avon Mill lead to unreliable journey times and create a major bottleneck on the road network. If improvements aren’t made, more traffic will divert on to less suitable routes and its function as an important transport corridor will be compromised.

The scheme includes a new segregated foot and cycle way and bridge parallel to the existing River Avon bridge. Crossings on the A426 Leicester Road will also be improved. The scheme completes a missing link in Rugby’s Cycle Network, giving pedestrians and cyclists better access to Rugby town centre and nearby Avon Valley School.

Commenting after the roundtable, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for transport and planning, Councillor Wallace Redford said:

“There has never been a better time to invest in Rugby and the wider Midlands. Our economy is at the forefront of innovation, spanning industries from advanced manufacturing and professional services to life sciences.

“We are spearheading the green revolution as the country commits to a carbon neutral future.

“Rugby and the Midlands, more than any other region, rely on resilient transport networks to prosper and that is why it is so critical to bring everyone around the table, to hear progress on this vital project and keep everyone informed.”