Councils call for funding to tackle congestion-hit stretch of A5
Councils have joined forces to urge the government to tackle the congestion-clogged A5 stretch between Hinckley, Nuneaton[1] and Tamworth. Nuneaton and Bedworth[2] Borough Council is one of the local authorities to back the plea for ministers to make investment into improving the A5 a priority.
The stretch of road is notorious for its traffic and safety problems and there have long been calls for action. Proposals turn the section between Dodwells island and the Longshoot junction into a dual carriageway, which were initially promised since at least 2014, were reportedly scrapped last year.
Other improvements have been tabled but never materialised. Now the councils plan to present the investment priorities to ministers and senior officials in a document called ‘The A5 – Economic Backbone of the Midlands’.
In it, it shows how investment is needed to make the A5 a ‘corridor of growth and innovation’ linking the M6[3] with the M42, M69 and M1. It says that the following action is needed:
- Full upgrade of the A5 between Tamworth and Hinckley
- A major improvement of the A5/A426 Gibbet Hill junction
- A programme of corridor-wide road safety improvements
- Improvements for freight haulage in the A5 corridor
Councillor Kris Wilson, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council leader, said: “We are calling for major improvements to the A5 over the next 10 years or so, as we believe this major route needs additional investment to keep pace with the additional demands placed on it over recent years. Jobs and livelihoods depend on a sound road network, and the A5 has a critical role to play for our Borough and neighbouring areas.
“We are fully behind the work of the A5 Partnership and actively doing all we can to raise with government the vital importance to our area of the work that is required.”
It is not just the councils who want action to improve capacity on the road including Magna Park, DPD and Aldi who rely on the A5 for their supply chains and customers. Major employers, such as Horiba MIRA also want quicker and safer journey times.
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