Part of Leicester’s busy inner ring road will be subject to overnight closures for up to four days next week for essential resurfacing works.
A short stretch of the A594 Welford Road, next to Nelson Mandela Park, will be subject to lane restrictions and a partial closure between 7pm and 6am from Tuesday, May 30. Work is due to be complete by the morning of Saturday, June 3.
During the works, the right turn from Aylestone Road onto Welford Road will be closed overnight to all traffic. A short, well-signed diversion will be in place via Infirmary Close, Pelham Street and back onto Welford Road.
Overnight lane closures will also be in place on part of Welford Road outbound, close to the junction with Aylestone Road.
The work is at the latest phase of a £2million improvement scheme to make parts of Aylestone Road and Welford Road safer for walkers, wheelers and cyclists.
According to Leicester City Council, the scheme will create “a safer and more attractive route” for people walking, using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, or cycling on Aylestone Road, between Putney Road and Welford Road. It will also provide a direct link with existing cycleways in the city centre and local neighbourhoods.
Work is being paid for through the Transforming Cities Fund following the city council’s successful bid for £32million of second tranche funding.
Deputy Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “Aylestone Road was the first route to be identified and used as a pop-up ‘keyworker corridor’ to provide safe commuting routes for people during the first lockdown three years ago. It’s been a popular route for walkers, wheelers and cyclists ever since.
“The improvements to this route represent another important expansion of the city’s growing network of safe and attractive routes for cyclists and pedestrians and will allow us to further extend the multi-million-pound investment we have made in and around the city centre, out into the Leicester’s busy local neighbourhoods along Aylestone Road and Saffron Lane.
“It is vital that we continue to invest in schemes that encourage people to make the shift to greener, cheaper and healthier forms of transport, not only to help address the climate emergency and reduce air pollution, but to support the future growth of the city and its economy.”
