Shrewsbury's Meole Brace Roundabout redesign up for two awards

Shropshire Council's work the roundabout, which was met with strong opposition when it was revealed, will be battling it out for regional recognition.

The work, which saw a road cut through the centre of the roundabout, was carried out between January and July 2017 as part of the £12 million Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package (SITP).

It is now in the running for the ‘best small project’ award in the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transport West Midlands Awards 2018.

The winner will be announced on May 3.

It is also up for the ‘best major scheme 2018’ award in the Institute of Highways Engineers – West Mercia Awards. The winner will be announced on April 19.

The work at Meole Brace saw a complete redesign of the junction.

The council said the work was being done so the roundabout could cope with plans to build hundreds of homes and a number of businesses along Oteley Road.

The authority said the work had also improved the safety of the junction for cyclists and pedestrians, as a result of the brand new dedicated route through the roundabout, separating the journeys from vehicle traffic.

The work was completed on time and in budget by Shropshire Council’s contractor McPhillips Ltd.

However, it was the subject of some controversy with an online petition attracting around 4,500 signatures from people concerned about the effect of the work on wildlife living on the roundabout.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said he was pleased that the work was up for official recognition, and added that the changes had been welcomed by the public since being completed.

He said: “Shropshire Council is currently delivering £12 million of key inward investment into Shrewsbury’s highways and town centre, through the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package (SITP).

"Meole Brace roundabout was one of the first elements to be completed and we’re delighted that the work has been shortlisted for two important industry awards.

“The public and user response to the completed works has been very positive, and traffic movements for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, have been greatly enhanced. With the ongoing improvements and refinement to the traffic lights phasing at the junction, the improvements have delivered a junction fit for purpose in terms of capacity for the planned growth of the town.”