21/8/2007 - Work starts on £2.4 million Barrow road improvement

Work will start on August 28th on a £2.4million road improvement scheme on the A590 in Barrow.

Cumbria County Council has appointed Thomas Armstrong to carry out the work which will see the introduction of a new traffic system and landscaping and environmental improvements such as paving, grass laying, tree planting, seating, lighting and a cycle lane.

Changes to road system will mean:

. A590 Walney Road becomes one way southbound from Ironworks Road to Craven Park Roundabout.

. Ironworks Road becomes one way northbound from A590 North Road to A590 Walney Road.

. A590 North Road (between Craven Park Roundabout and Ironworks Road) and Ashburner Way will remain two-way to retain easy access to and from Walney Island.

The scheme also includes: new traffic signals at the junctions of Walney Road/Ironworks Road, Walney Road/Ashburner Way, Walney Road/Duke St, North Road/Ironworks Road and Ironworks Road/Ashburner Way and new signal controlled pedestrian crossings on North Road and Hindpool Road.

The project is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete. The county council has insisted that no work should take place in the road carriageway during December to avoid disruption to the Christmas shopping period. Thomas Armstrong's staff will also take the two week Christmas break traditional in the construction industry.

Details of the schedule of work will be supplied to households and businesses directly affected by the work and advance notice boards informing motorists will go up in good time before the work begins. 

Every effort will be made to minimise disruption, particularly around Christmas. But some delays are inevitable in an improvement scheme of this size. Motorists are advised to find alternative routes where possible or plan extra time for their journeys.

Funding for the project has come from West Lakes Renaissance (£2.15million) and Cumbria County Council (£250,000).

Jack Richardson, county council cabinet portfolio holder for infrastructure, said: "This is a major investment in Barrow's future. The scheme is an important part of the current regeneration efforts in Barrow as it will bring a significant improvement to the town's road network - it's crucial that we have the infrastructure that business needs if we are going to convince them to come here and bring opportunity and prosperity to our town."

ENDS

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