Peterborough: Final Stage Of Road Dig Disruption

15 February 2013, 11:41 | Updated: 15 February 2013, 11:46

The first of a series of overnight road closures at Junction 5 on the A1139 at Boongate will take effect tonight (Friday 15th Feb).

The closures are to complete the last major parts of the improvement works to the junction and surrounding roads.

The £1.1m improvement scheme will help to cut journey times by alleviating congestion and reducing the number of road accidents at this location.

The Cambridgeshire County Council 2012 Traffic Accident report rated Junction 5 as the worst accident site in the Peterborough City Council area.

Closures as follows:

• Friday 15 February - A1139 Northbound off-slip will be closed including 300m of lane 1 closed on the A1139 Frank Perkins Parkway. Surfacing of the carriageway and the laying of new road markings will take place.

• Monday 18 February - A1139 Northbound on-slip including 300m of lane 1 closed on the A1139 Frank Perkins Parkway. The closure will see the installation and commissioning of new street lights.

• Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 February - A1139 Southbound on-slip including 300m of lane 1 closed on the A1139 Frank Perkins Parkway. The closure will see the installation and commissioning of new street lights.

• Friday 22 February - A1139 Southbound off-slip only, will be closed to facilitate the installation and commissioning of new street lights.

• Monday 18 to Friday 22 February - Boongate West westbound (in to town) will be closed. The closure will see the surfacing of the carriageway and laying of new road markings.

During these closures, the roundabout and each exit off the roundabout will be restricted to one lane. A 40mph speed limit will be in place for the duration of the works.

To minimise disruption, these works will take place overnight between 7pm and 6.30am on weekdays. When roads are closed at these times, there will be clearly signed diversion routes in place.

Access for vehicles and pedestrians to businesses at Boongate will still be available at all times.

Councillor Peter Hiller, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Planning, told Heart: "It is great to see the final stages of these works taking shape and I am delighted that we are in a position to deliver such an important scheme which will significantly reduce journey times and the number of accidents at this bottle neck junction.

Junction 5 is part of the eastern gateway into Peterborough, linking the A1 with the A15, A16 and A47, so it is vitally important that we target the congestion, making it easier for people to access our growing city.

In addition, removing queuing traffic on a daily basis will also reduce exhaust emissions which supports our Environment Capital ambitions.

We apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused during this period of work however these night time closures are necessary to allow improvements to be completed safely."