MAJOR works to relieve congestion near Upton-upon-Severn got underway on Monday (July 26).
The planned improvements being carried out by Worcestershire County Council are aimed at tackling the traffic hotspot at the A38/A4104.
The A38 is a single carriageway road, which runs to the M50 Motorway and Tewkesbury in the south and Worcester in the north.
The A4104 is also a single carriageway road, which runs to Pershore to the north-east and to Upton-upon-Severn and Little Malvern to the west.
The route is important for users travelling from the M5/M50 Motorways and provides access to destinations such as the ‘Three Counties Showground’ and the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as well as a number of events usually held within Upon-upon-Severn and the surrounding area throughout the year.
The current arrangement sees extensive queuing on both the A38 and A4104, especially during peak times.
A new four-arm roundabout will replace the current staggered crossroads junction, with the western A4104 approach from Upton-upon-Severn being realigned to tie into the roundabout.
Three-metre wide footways with crossing points introduced on all arms of the roundabout will improve the area for pedestrians and cyclists.
Although the majority of the works will take place off the main roads, there will be the need for some traffic management to allow the works to take place.
Initially, there will be two-way traffic signals in place on the A4104 or A38, only on one road at any one time.
This will enable the setup of the works compound and site access.
There will also be the need for some lane restrictions throughout the programme and the need for full road closures later on in the works for resurfacing.
Coun Alan Amos, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport said it would make a huge difference to those using the route, especially at peak times.
“The new roundabout will reduce queuing traffic on the A38 and provide improved access to the A4104 from the A38 and the improved shared walkway will also improve the area for those using alternative modes of transport.”
