2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Ciaran Fagan)
People who live near a key junction on one of Leicestershire's busiest roads believe improvements to reduce congestion and delays are essential, according to transport campaigners. The Gibbet Hill junction linking the A5 and the A426 near Lutterworth is used by an estimated 7,000 vehicles a day and provides a route between the M1 and M6. Midlands Connect commissioned a survey of homes within five miles of the junction, which is on the border of Leicestershire and Warwickshire, to measure public support for congestion-busting measures.
It says congestion is affecting residents, businesses and commuters . Leicestershire County Council has previously backed calls for improvements. Now, according to the Midlands Connect survey, many residents appear to agree.
READ MORE: Leicestershire residents hit out at council over 'pointless' flat speed bumps In a report published this week, the campaign group said support was strong for action at Gibbet Hill. Its findings include: Midlands Connect released a selection of residents' comments from the 500 people surveyed too. One said: "I have experienced too many vehicles on the road and it caused slow-moving traffic or complete standstills, making travel frustrating and time-consuming.
" A second said: "Traffic was totally crawling and I lost about 20 minutes getting through the congestion." Swati Mittal, integrated transport programme lead for Midlands Connect, believed the responses showed that action was needed, saying: "These first-hand experiences of the congestion really demonstrate the need for improvements. We know during peak times, the volume of traffic is close to, or exceeding traffic capacity and the resulting in delays are impacting residents, businesses and commuters.
" Chairman of the A5 Partnership, Councillor Anthony Gillias, said: “The A5 at Gibbet Hill is an area that urgently needs upgrading. It is clearly at critical mass. "At the moment it is often heavily congested, and residents, businesses and commuters are using rat-run routes to try to avoid it.
Improvements are needed to this junction to stop the tailbacks and gridlock, and ease the negative impacts being felt in the surrounding villages and communities.” Speaking previously, Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, Leicestershire County Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, acknowledged the issues along the A5. He 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." We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first.
