Oswestry dual roundabout work 'progressing well' according to council
Work on one of the county's major roads to create a second roundabout will start later this summer, according to a senior councillor.
Shropshire Council is undertaking work on a site next to Oswestry's Mile End roundabout to create a second roundabout.
The work is part of plans for a major new innovation park on the outskirts of the town.
The new roundabout will sit alongside Mile End Roundabout to the north.
It will have four exits and will take traffic from the A5, bypassing the existing Mile End Roundabout.
Motorists driving from Shrewsbury to North Wales – or vice versa – will be separated off to use the new roundabout to continue their journey.
One of the ambitions of the scheme is that by taking the A5 traffic out of the Mile End flow, it will significantly reduce congestion and speed up journey times.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, has said that work on the new roundabout is 'progressing well', and that he expects work on the A5 section of the project to start later this summer.
He said: "Early works on the Mile End Junction improvement scheme are progressing well. Shropshire Council’s contractor has fully mobilised the site offices and the environmental and ecological protection measures are established to allow construction to progress.
"Advanced site clearance and early drainage work continues with minimal disruptions to the existing Mile End junction or the A5.
"Planning for the start of construction on the A5 itself is being finalised with Highways England and these works are due to commence later this summer."
The new roundabout will provide access to the planned Oswestry Innovation Park.
The first phase of the construction of the £45m innovation park is expected to be given the green light on Wednesday.
Plans for the park, to be built next to the Mile End Roundabout, include a hotel and 21 business units of varying sizes which Shropshire Council says will create a total of 1,300 jobs.
The authority’s northern planning committee will meet on Wednesday to decide the application, which seeks full planning permission for the spine road and supporting infrastructure, and outline permission for the buildings.
Oswestry Town Council has come out in support of the project but Oswestry Rural Parish Council objected, saying it would take away trade from established businesses in the town.
