Improvements to a Fenland town's roads are set to start from next week

Work is due to begin next week on the first set of a £900,000 package of improvements for roads in a Fenland town.

The money has been approved for a range of safety improvements for March roads and the first of these is set to get underway from next week, thanks to work by the Cambridgeshire County Council-led March Area Transport Strategy group (MATS).

Two new zebra crossings are planned and works on one for St Peter’s Road near the junction with Elwyn Road and Upwell Road will start this month.

This new crossing will help to make the walk to school safer for Neale-Wade Academy students who live nearby.

The other zebra crossing is planned for Station Road near St John's Road to help locals get to the shops and improve safety as parents cross the road taking their children to the nearby nursery.

Early summer next year works will be undertaken to create new footways on Norwood Road and Hundred Road.

A ‘build out’ which narrows the road at a particular location is also planned for the busy Hundred Road to help reduce vehicle speeds.

Norwood Avenue will also benefit from traffic calming with the type of measures still to be decided and subject to further engagement later in the year.

At the entrance to the town around Upwell Road and Calvary Drive, a new 40 mph speed area will be introduced between the current 60 and 30 mph areas to encourage drivers to reduce their speed as they approach residential areas.

As well as the above, signage will be put up around the town to direct HGVs along main roads and away from residential areas. An audit of all the walking and cycling provision in the town has also been undertaken and will be used to identify possible improvements.

The proposals are being brought forward following the first part of the much wider March Area Transport Study which looks at what changes could be made to improve travel across and around this historic market town.

Local March North and Waldersey County Councillor Jan French who chairs the MATS Group, said: “These projects will help local residents when they’re out and about walking or cycling around our town and should help improve safety on our busy roads.

“I’m delighted that these improvements will start soon with some of the money needed for the works becoming available after savings were made in the development stage of the wider March Area Transport Study.”

Fellow ward county Councillor Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, who is also part of the group along with John Gowing, the third county council representative for the area said: “This investment in March will help local residents on everyday journeys to school, work or to the shops. The changes will encourage drivers to lower their speeds and create safer crossing points in busy areas of the town.

“This is only the start of a range of significant investment in March roads with exciting proposals being developed for a new Northern Industrial Link Road and improvements to Peas Hill and Hostmoor roundabouts as well as other junction and signals improvements across the town.

“We are also anticipating being able to going even further when we get full details of a further government grant which will combine with work we are working on with Mayor James Palmer and the Growing Fenland Fund”

The March Area Transport Study is funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and is being carried out by Cambridgeshire County Council, in partnership with Fenland District Council and it identifies potential improvements to make travel easier in March. The study has involved developing transport options to help growth in the area by addressing existing traffic flow problems. A consultation on the proposals, which include a new link road and A141 roundabout improvements, was held in May and June 2020.

An Outline Business Case will be now be drawn up and further consultation is anticipated towards the end of 2021.