Work to remedy botched road layout set for spring
BBCConstruction work to improve traffic flow on a busy town centre road is set to begin next spring – less than two years after it went through a major redesign.
Shropshire Council spent about £3.8m turning two lanes of Castle Foregate in Shrewsbury into one lane so a cycle path and controversial "floating" bus stop could be installed.
Drivers reacted angrily to the scheme for worsening congestion at busy times, and the bus firm Arriva suspended the bus stop after the BBC found it to be too narrow to meet national guidance.
Remedial plans are to be drawn up by the authority's highways team and its recommendations will be presented to the Liberal Democrat administration by the end of the year.
Options will include reverting the road back to two lanes or repurposing the bike lane into a shared space for buses, taxis and emergency vehicles.
Both options present issues that will need be addressed before construction can begin.
They include how buses and taxis in a shared lane would turn right towards Smithfield Road, or how drivers in the right-hand lane would enter the railway station.
The council's director of infrastructure, Andy Wilde, told council leaders on Wednesday that his highways team would spend the next few months analysing data, carrying out technical assessments and engaging with stakeholders before reporting back to council leaders.
It is unclear at this stage how the cash-strapped council intends to pay for it.
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