Works to close part of major Telford town centre route
Part of one of the major routes in Telford town centre will be closed from Tuesday for up to five weeks to allow essential construction works to take place.
The work, which is being carried out to construct a new roundabout at the junction of Malinsgate, Woodhouse Central and Coach Central will mean that Malinsgate will be closed to traffic heading out of the town centre.
The work forms part of the ‘box road’ scheme, a multi-million pound project to improve access for all to Telford town centre, including pedestrians and cyclists, and accommodate the growth that is happening in and around the town centre.
The closure will mean vehicles will not be able to travel from Coach Central to Malinslee roundabout.
Vehicles will however be able to travel from Malinslee roundabout, along Malinsgate towards Woodhouse Central.
Vehicles heading to Malinslee roundabout from Coach Central will be diverted via Woodhouse Central, Forge Gate and Hall Park Way. The Malinsgate closure has been timed to coincide with the substantial completion of works that the Highways Agency is carrying out at the Forge roundabout at M54 Junction 5.
The £450m redevelopment of Southwater and Telford Shopping Centre, which provides additional facilities including restaurants, bars, cafes, a hotel and new cinema, requires changes to the road infrastructure to improve access to the town centre for all, including better routes for pedestrians and cyclists, which is why the work is taking place.
Councillor Hilda Rhodes, cabinet member for Customer Services, Libraries and Transport, said: “We understand that this may add a couple of minutes on to journey times and we are sorry for any inconvenience.
“However, I really want to reiterate how essential these works are.
“Telford town centre is growing significantly with the Southwater development and the planned development to Telford Shopping Centre, and traffic levels are going to increase greatly over the coming years.
“The improvement works are being undertaken now so that by the time traffic levels have increased, the road system will be in place and fit for purpose, reducing future disruption.”
