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Stafford Western Access Route.
- Thread starter The Hawk
- Start date
Tumble weed
Well-Known Forumite
They have a room on the outside of the Guildhall that they broadcast from , opposite cash converters.
Raven
Well-Known Forumite
Yes on the face of it a nice route but the Lidl / Halfords lights will surely start to cause chaos as more traffic uses the route.
Leave Lidl direction and wish to turn right beware that the Halfords light are also green and most of this traffic will be turning left and you will both meet in the middle, going to be one or two bumps there.
Coming from the Sainsbury direction then the section of road "outside" of the yellow box area before the foregate lights does not hold much traffic, so if full you cannot proceed across the Lidl lights into the box area if your exit is full, = tail backs coming from Sainsburys.
The solution that was there before but no more, yes a roundabout so no need for all those lights for traffic just lights to aid pedestrians etc.
Time will tell.
Leave Lidl direction and wish to turn right beware that the Halfords light are also green and most of this traffic will be turning left and you will both meet in the middle, going to be one or two bumps there.
Coming from the Sainsbury direction then the section of road "outside" of the yellow box area before the foregate lights does not hold much traffic, so if full you cannot proceed across the Lidl lights into the box area if your exit is full, = tail backs coming from Sainsburys.
The solution that was there before but no more, yes a roundabout so no need for all those lights for traffic just lights to aid pedestrians etc.
Time will tell.
Matt_S
A few posts under my belt
Doing better than we ever have 
joshua
Well-Known Forumite
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
Motorists are being promised improved access in and around a town centre - after a congestion-busting link road was opened.
The Stafford Weston Access Route was fully launched today after construction work on the £63m project began in 2019.
Leaders hope it will tackle congestion in the town centre and around the train station.
The route links Newport Road to the west of Stafford town centre with Foregate Street to the north.
It aims to cut congestion on Gaol Square, the Newport Road section east of Kingsway, Station Road, Chell Road, the southern part of Foregate Street and Doxey Road.
Part of the link, including the Newport Road end, had already opened to traffic.
And on Friday morning an electric van and a bike were the first vehicles to travel along the final section, between Doxey Road and Foregate Street, before it fully opened to all traffic.
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
A new viaduct crossing the River Sow provides the connection between Madford Retail Park, off Foregate Street, and Doxey Road. The viaduct’s base features 72 steel beams, each weighing 58 tonnes.
More than 2,300 new trees have been planted as part of the project, while a former car park has been restored into a marshland wildlife habitat.
Other work includes the creation of 2.2km (1.3 miles) of cycling routes, flood compensation works and installation of bat boxes and a mammal crossing.
The opening was celebrated on Friday by members of Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, infrastructure company Amey, and town MP Theo Clarke.
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
David Williams, the county council's cabinet member for highways and transport, described the route as a “fantastic feat of engineering” at Friday’s opening event.
He added: “Marking its completion highlights what an achievement this has been for all the partners involved. This project is playing a major part in supporting the county town’s future growth – unlocking development sites for new homes, businesses and community facilities.
“Furthermore, it will ease town centre congestion which impacts the local economy before we see new projects progressing, including the Stafford Gateway and HS2 links to the town.
“The team has worked hard throughout the pandemic period to keep the scheme on schedule, and we have ensured there has been comprehensive engagement with communities and businesses throughout which has been extremely important. We’d again like to thank nearby residents for their understanding while work has taken place and to all partners who have made the project a success.”
Funding for the scheme came from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), through the Government’s Local Growth Fund, and developers. The county and borough councils also contributed.
Frances Beatty, the borough council's cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “The completion of the Stafford Western Access Route is further demonstration of the significant investment that is taking place in and around the town and of how many projects are now coming to fruition, getting underway or in the pipeline.
“It will vastly improve access into and out of the town for shoppers, for our workforce, students and visitors alike. The new road is a gateway to the ongoing transformation of our town centre and has provided the town with the much-needed infrastructure to support the development taking place.
“One of our top priorities is growth and prosperity. We hope that through project delivery and our ambitious plans for the future our community will see that Stafford is heading in the right direction.”
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
It was a toss up between talking to our beloved MP (as she lapped up the plaudits for something she had absolutely no part in whatsoever) or having another mushroom vol-au-vent.
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
Motorists are being promised improved access in and around a town centre - after a congestion-busting link road was opened.
The Stafford Weston Access Route was fully launched today after construction work on the £63m project began in 2019.
Leaders hope it will tackle congestion in the town centre and around the train station.
The route links Newport Road to the west of Stafford town centre with Foregate Street to the north.
It aims to cut congestion on Gaol Square, the Newport Road section east of Kingsway, Station Road, Chell Road, the southern part of Foregate Street and Doxey Road.
Part of the link, including the Newport Road end, had already opened to traffic.
And on Friday morning an electric van and a bike were the first vehicles to travel along the final section, between Doxey Road and Foregate Street, before it fully opened to all traffic.
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
A new viaduct crossing the River Sow provides the connection between Madford Retail Park, off Foregate Street, and Doxey Road. The viaduct’s base features 72 steel beams, each weighing 58 tonnes.
More than 2,300 new trees have been planted as part of the project, while a former car park has been restored into a marshland wildlife habitat.
Other work includes the creation of 2.2km (1.3 miles) of cycling routes, flood compensation works and installation of bat boxes and a mammal crossing.
The opening was celebrated on Friday by members of Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, infrastructure company Amey, and town MP Theo Clarke.
(Image: Kerry Ashdown)
David Williams, the county council's cabinet member for highways and transport, described the route as a “fantastic feat of engineering” at Friday’s opening event.
He added: “Marking its completion highlights what an achievement this has been for all the partners involved. This project is playing a major part in supporting the county town’s future growth – unlocking development sites for new homes, businesses and community facilities.
“Furthermore, it will ease town centre congestion which impacts the local economy before we see new projects progressing, including the Stafford Gateway and HS2 links to the town.
“The team has worked hard throughout the pandemic period to keep the scheme on schedule, and we have ensured there has been comprehensive engagement with communities and businesses throughout which has been extremely important. We’d again like to thank nearby residents for their understanding while work has taken place and to all partners who have made the project a success.”
Funding for the scheme came from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), through the Government’s Local Growth Fund, and developers. The county and borough councils also contributed.
Frances Beatty, the borough council's cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “The completion of the Stafford Western Access Route is further demonstration of the significant investment that is taking place in and around the town and of how many projects are now coming to fruition, getting underway or in the pipeline.
“It will vastly improve access into and out of the town for shoppers, for our workforce, students and visitors alike. The new road is a gateway to the ongoing transformation of our town centre and has provided the town with the much-needed infrastructure to support the development taking place.
“One of our top priorities is growth and prosperity. We hope that through project delivery and our ambitious plans for the future our community will see that Stafford is heading in the right direction.”
The vol-au-vent won.
Len's Lens
Well-Known Forumite
I intentionally made a detour tonight to try out the new road rather than driving straight home. It was rather satisfying!! Driving from the new Sainsbury's entrance & condensed, rounder car park, the new roundabout appeared dynamic & scenic and the route whizzed by fleetingly! It was great to see a part of Stafford I haven't seen before - particularly the back of Stafford Super Bowl and Lidl. There was only a minor hold-up at the Foregate Street lights before the left green arrow appeared and I swung a left onto the new rounded exit to the A34. As I waited by Halfords, I took a cheeky glance to my right, laughing brashly as unfortunate soles waited in vain for the green light to appear coming out of Curry's. They're probably still queueing in formation now. And off I went!
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
Be fair. She's a pro.
Glam
Mad Cat Woman
I drove over it earlier, took well under 2 minutes to get to Foregate st, compared to the 5 minutes + going past Sainsburys does. Coming back from Stone, I came back over it again, looks nice, and surface was lovely to drive on too. Be a shame those powers that be will probably announce it'll be dug up before Christmas.
GNM67
Well-Known Forumite
When I came back over it from Sainsbury's I cheekily turned left onto greyfriers(?) then right by Screwfix. Skips 2 sets of lights
Len's Lens
Well-Known Forumite
That'll be the all new Alliance Street short-cut route.
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
Yes but with more class.
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
Thankfully not Theo Way.
Maybe it should be Queensway for Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee not three months away, and Queensway should be renamed Unicorn Way as the Unicorn was demolished for it to be built 45 years ago.
Glam
Mad Cat Woman
It's actually nice to walk over too, youngest and I did a circular route, from our house towards Foregate, then on towards Sainsburys etc. So much more easier to get to Lidl too, I just need a packhorse help me carry everything back though..............
Mudgie
Well-Known Forumite
It won't do as much to ease congestion as extending Beaconside from Tixall Road to Lichfield Road - which has been palnned for as long as i can remember - would do.
Jonah
Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
That plan was shelved/cancelled/ditched years ago.
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
It's one thing building a bypass over brownfield, quite another over greenfield in this day and age. It was never going to happen in the 70s, 80s and 90s, nevermind in the ecomentalist age we live in now.
Besides, Stafford already has a bypass. It's called the M6.