A busy road in Northampton town centre will be closed overnight for eight days in a row in March to allow for reconstruction and resurfacing work to be carried out.
The work is part of a project to provide better transport links for some of the new buildings in the town, including the University of Northampton’s new student accommodation, Northamptonshire County Council is redeveloping the one -way system between the Plough Hotel in Bridge Street and the King Billy pub.
The work will be carried out from March 1 for eight nights and the road will need to be fully closed between 7.30pm and 6am.
The road closure will prevent the through-flow of cross town traffic along St Peters Way from the Gas Street roundabout and there will be signed diversions in place from Gas Street roundabout.
Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage, county council cabinet member for infrastructure and public protection, said: “We’re now moving towards the end of this very important project to unlock key developments in the town and this final element is essential because the Plough Hotel gyratory is an extremely busy thoroughfare.
“Carrying out road restructuring work on one of the busiest through routes in Northampton is always going to cause some disruption but I believe that the methods used will keep this to the absolute minimum.
“This system allows us to carry out the work as quickly as possible, which is always important but essential in this part of town.
“We’re starting to see some real improvements to Northampton town centre with some big projects coming on line with the enhanced highways infrastructure complementing this.”
During the period that the work is being carried out, staff controlled access will be in place at the Gas Street roundabout allowing motorists along St Peters Way to enter the St Peters and Commercial Street car parks.
Drivers will also be able to access Commercial Street, Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street via Foundry Street (with the direction of flow reversed for the closure period). Exit from these roads will be via College Street.
During the day on Saturday, March 2, between the hours of 6am and 7.30pm, works will restrict the carriageway to one lane open for traffic. On subsequent day-times, two lanes will be open to traffic.
The road restructuring work is seen as key to creating the infrastructure for improving access to the St Johns hotel development, due to be completed in March 2014, the University of Northampton’s new student accommodation, due to be completed in January 2014 and the Project Angel town centre office complex.
 |  |