New junction improvement phases in London Road

Transport

Further work to create better traffic flows along London Road, High Wycombe, begins on Monday (13 January) at Hatters Lane roundabout. The following Monday (20 January) improvement work starts at Rayners Avenue junction.

The improvements are part of a Buckinghamshire County Council £6.6 million junction upgrade package, aimed at reducing journey times in and out of High Wycombe, and making them more reliable.

The scheme includes linking traffic lights using state-of-the-art technology to help traffic flow more smoothly, introducing dedicated turning lanes, and renovating pedestrian crossings.

At Hatters Lane, road widening will extend the short in-bound bus lane around the roundabout. Improvements, which will take around 10 weeks, include:

  • Moving the High Wycombe-bound bus stop away from the roundabout exit to ensure buses do not block the traffic, and to improve junction safety and capacity.
  • Upgrading the uncontrolled crossing and moving it to line up with the new bus stop.

Work will be done in off-peak hours, between 9.30am and 3.30pm, using narrower traffic lanes and footway diversions. Some night work is expected later for resurfacing and white-lining.

At Rayners Avenue, on the approach to Loudwater, new technology will enable the junction to co-ordinate with others along London Road. Improvements include:

  • Replacing and upgrading traffic lights and installing new controller cabinets.
  • Refurbishing the pedestrian crossing 50 metres south of the junction.
  • Refreshing line markings around the junction.

Work is expected to take five weeks, will be during off-peak hours (9.30am to 3.30pm) and for the first week will be confined to footways. While the permanent traffic lights are being replaced, temporary signals will operate from Monday 27 January, and lane closures will be needed during pedestrian crossing and junction refurbishment.

The two phases build on improvements made at Gordon Road and Gomm Road junctions during the autumn.

Towards the end of February, improvement work moves to London Road’s Micklefield junction, where it is proposed to remove a High Wycombe-bound bus lane, widen the road, realign kerbs and introduce a new crossing layout.

Mark Shaw, Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member visits a road resurfacing project in Chesham

Mark Shaw, Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member, said these were key works to address the concerns of local people and businesses about congestion and to support the future growth of the town.

“We all know London Road is a busy corridor and people are keen to see something significant done,” he said. “Thanks to funding from the Government and the Local Transport Board, we’ve been able to make this serious investment in High Wycombe’s infrastructure.

“While we make these improvements, I hope people will bear with us, and if there are delays, please accept our apologies.”

Work on the scheme – funded by the County Council from Government grants and funding through Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership – is expected to finish in summer 2020.