Traffic upgrades mean £2.6m revamp for Stanks Island

The busy junction will be expanded to take more traffic, and will have new signals installed to get the roads ready for thousands more drivers expected in the coming decade. Upgrades for the roundabout - which links the A46, A425 and A4177 - will also see improvements for pedestrians in what has been described as “very necessary”.

It will all be delivered in line with a town centre traffic plan currently being developed, and will go out for consultation “shortly”.

Cllr John Holland (Lab) said there had been “very positive negotiations” with highways officers and that safety and benefit for the district was at the heart of the changes.

He said: “There are a lot of people using this junction to come into the town for work and this is about getting 
people off the A46. This scheme neatly fits alongside the plans for Warwick town centre which are out for consultation at present. The intention is to go for consultation on Stanks Island plans once that is complete.”

The £2.594 million needed to deliver the work will be taken from Warwickshire County Council’s capital growth fund after getting the go-ahead from councillors on Tuesday.

The scheme will bring improvements at Birmingham Road and make way for an increase in traffic when 12,900 houses are built across the district by 2029.

A council spokesperson said: “The problem of congestion in the A46 corridor is identified as a major barrier to the success of the Local Plan and improvements are vital to the schemes overall growth.”

Cllr Philip Johnson said: “The development will greatly improve the capacity of this important road and also lead to major improvements in terms of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.”

The project forms part of a £6m scheme across Warwickshire and more detailed plans will now be drawn up and released in the autumn.