COVENTRY councillor has slammed plans for a £112.5million upgrade to the A46 Walsgrave junction after being left ‘staggered’ by their failure to propose a direct link and second access to University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).
Coun Ed Ruane claimed staff and patients have had to endure traffic congestion due to there only being one access route to the hospital since it opened and said Coventrians would ‘never forgive’ missing the opportunity to provide a second access route.
A consultation on National Highways proposals for the upgrade, which would include a new junction consisting of two new roundabouts connected via a new bridge over the A46, will now run until December 6.
Work is currently expected to begin in late 2026 and finish around two years later.
Traffic congestion on the A46 has led to slower speeds, longer trip times and more queueing for drivers, with the upgrade aiming to prevent queues and support more economic growth in the West Midlands.
The A46 has experienced safety issues in the past, with the section south of Coventry in the top 45 per cent for total casualties.
However, Coun Ruane said he was ‘staggered’ to find the proposal only provides a slip route onto Clifford Bridge Road, which remains the only route in and out of the hospital.
He added: “Why is there no proposal to provide a direct link and second access in this consultation, as it was stated as being the main response in previous consultations?
“If we miss the opportunity to provide a second access route for UHCW then the citizens of Coventry will never forgive us.”
National Highways Senior Project Manager, Joe Mulqueen said: “We’re always keen to hear the views of local people and we fully understand the concerns raised by Coun Ruane.
“There are already plans in place for a new hospital link road in Coventry City Council’s Local Plan (2017) as part of the Walsgrave Hill Farm site allocation.
“To make sure our scheme supports any future work at the location, we’re working closely with the developer involved in this scheme to make sure our proposed Walsgrave junction design accommodates a potential future access point for a dedicated route into University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.”
Several public consultation events will take place across the city over the next few weeks, with the first being held this Saturday (November 4) between 10am and 2pm at Wyken Community Centre.
Visit nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/west-midlands/a46-coventry-junctions-upgrade/ for more information on the consultation.
