One of Leicestershire’s most important and heavily congested roads needs vital government funding - that's according to a campaign group. Studies by Midlands Connect suggest the route was "at 98 per cent capacity" each morning and it is feared it could get even worse.
The call to action centres on the A5 junction at Gibbet Hill on the Warwickshire-Leicestershire. The campaign group says it is one of the region’s key interchanges, linking the A5 and the A426 as providing a route between the M1 and M6, with 7,000 vehicles using it in every direction every day.
However, heavy congestion and long delays are a common sight at the junction, particularly during the morning and afternoon rush hours. A study carried out by Midlands Connect last year found the junction was "at 98 per cent capacity" each morning and they have warned this is only likely to get worse without improvements.
READ MORE: Giant warehouse and office scheme twice the size of Fosse Park emerges
The campaign group is hoping to secure vital Department for Transport investment to improve the junction, and wants businesses which use it regularly to get involved to help it build as strong a case as possible. Integrated transport programme lead Swati Mittal said: “We want to hear from businesses and we want to hear your experiences. We want to hear about the impact that local congestion and gridlock on the A5 around Gibbet Hill can cause your firm on a daily basis and limit your opportunities to grow.
“Please do get in touch with us over the next couple of weeks. We need your views to highlight the critical demand to upgrade this vital link to our strategic road network. Your experiences and thoughts could make a massive difference, please take five minutes to get in touch and let us know what the impact is on your business.”
Midlands Connect has described the junction as the heart of the “logistics golden triangle” due to its links with the M1, M6 and M69. Speaking last year, chairman of the A5 Partnership Councillor Anthony Gillias said the junction was “at critical mass”.
“When traffic snarls up, we see rat-running through nearby smaller villages to avoid queuing at the junction, creating noise and speeding issues for residents,” he said.
Leicestershire County Council have previously admitted the A5 "isn't functioning" and have echoed calls for better funding. Speaking last year, the authority's cabinet member for highways and transport Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, said: “We know problems such as bridge strikes, congestion and accidents are having a detrimental impact on our residents throughout Hinckley as well as the villages in the south of the county. The A5 isn’t functioning, and we share the views of partners who are calling for improvements to be prioritised and additional funding made available.
“Securing and delivering improvements on the A5 also resonates with the core themes of our draft new Local Transport Plan, which include supporting growth and boosting the local economy, improving people’s health and reducing the impacts of traffic on our communities. The urgent need is there to improve the road.”
Businesses who are able to make representations as part of the bid for funding can email mcadmin@midlandsconnect.uk
We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first
