A CONGESTION-busting multi-million pound project to create a ‘free-flowing’ A46 at a notorious bottleneck near University Hospital Coventry will be the subject of two public information events next week.
Residents and road users are being invited to meet the team behind the A46 Walsgrave junction upgrade – designed to reduce congestion on the outskirts of Coventry.
The £112million project, which received government approval in February, aims to transform the existing three-arm priority roundabout which connects the A46 to the B4082 into a free-flowing junction, removing a bottleneck for the 57,000 drivers who use the road every day.
Public information events will take place at Tesco Superstore in Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry on Monday (June 15) from 10am to 4pm, and at Warwickshire Shopping Park in Kynner Way, Binley on Tuesday (June 16) from 10am to 4pm.
The project team will be on hand to answer questions and explain what to expect ahead of construction, which is due to begin in September.
Project Manager Emma Winter said: “The Walsgrave junction connects the A46 to the B4082 and is currently a three-arm priority roundabout, which causes substantial congestion in the area.
“Tackling this bottleneck will make a real difference – delivering more reliable journeys and better safety for drivers travelling between the Midlands, the South West and the North.”
Swati Mittal, Roads Programme Lead at Midlands Connect, said the junction was a key bottleneck which limited the full benefits of earlier investments.
She added: “The planned upgrade will not only enable better traffic flows and ease congestion but will also support economic growth and better access to the Coventry University Hospital.
“It’s a scheme that Midlands Connect have prioritised for many years and will make a massive impact on people, businesses, and growth.”
The upgrade forms part of National Highways’ commitment to improve the A46 Trans-Midlands Trade Corridor, supporting economic growth, employment and housing development between the M5 and the Humber Ports.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “Schemes like this that deliver better connectivity to centres of employment enable people to access more job opportunities and employers are able to draw on a wider pool of talent.
“Well-connected areas are also better placed to attract businesses that benefit from being close to one another, boosting innovation and helping local economies thrive.”
The scheme is expected to open to traffic in 2028.
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