Motorists warned of disruption as county council prepares to begin £180K of improvements to Melton town centre

From Monday, October 10, County Hall is set to be delivering a number of new road surfaces, pavements and revamped pedestrian crossings as part of a significant investment in the town centre.

The first of the projects will see resurfacing work taking place on the A606/Leicester Street (including Sherrard Street junction). The work is set to take place from Monday, October 10, between 8pm and 6am, to avoid causing major disruption. It’s anticipated the work will take eight nights to complete. The county council added that work will also not take place over the weekend to avoid any impact on the weekend night-time trade.

Following the resurfacing of Leicester Street, from Monday, October 17, Park Road is set to be given new pavements, with work anticipated to last five days (work taking place 7.30am to 4.30pm). A council spokesman said footway diversion with access to premises will be maintained and access for motorists will be maintained using a priority system. Parking bays will be affected for a short duration.

Road resurfacing work is anticipated to begin on parts of King Street, Chapel Street and Windsor Street from Monday, October 24, with work lasting for about three weeks. These works will be carried out using a two-phased road closure (including the weekend of October 29 and 30) and diversion route.

The first phase - to carry out reconstruction to block-paved crossings on King Street and Windsor Street, road resurfacing and re-laying of road markings - will last for about 10 days, with work being carried out from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

The second phase of road resurfacing is due to start on Monday, November 7. Work will take place between 8pm and 6am, lasting three nights.

The final phase of the improvements to the town centre will involve the pavement outside Morrisons supermarket on Sherrard Street being replaced, with work planned to take place from November 14.

This work, expected to take up to 15 days, will require a footway diversion, temporary traffic lights and a closure at the junction of Rutland Street. The works will be carried out in two sections, taking place between 7.30am and 4.30pm, to maintain access to the side entrance of Morrisons.

Councillor Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The work taking place will improve road surfaces and pavements as well as provide better crossing points, and will benefit both road users and pedestrians.

“We have planned the execution of these works with local businesses and weekend trade in mind, and have tried to ensure any disruption is minimised. However, we are still asking the public to bear with us and allow extra time for their journeys when travelling through the town centre.”

Matthew Reedman, team manager for highway service delivery at the council, added: “The dates provided for each of the works are as firm as possible but could be subject to change due to poor weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.

“During these works it’s inevitable that some disruption will be caused. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience however it’s not possible to carry out these works safely and effectively without installing suitable traffic management measures.

“Vehicular access will be restricted during working hours and signed diversion routes will be in operation when the affected roads are closed. Traffic marshals will be in place at strategic locations to give assistance and control access through the works. If you live directly within the works area and need to leave your property at a specific time we would ask that you make arrangements to move your vehicle, in advance of works commencing, to prevent delays occurring.”

For more information on roadworks, road closures and diversions residents can visit Leicestershire County Council’s website http://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/roadworks

To keep up-to-date with any traffic disruption across Leicestershire, residents should follow Area Traffic Control’s Twitter feed @ATCLeicester