City road to shut for final phase of £700k scheme

Work to upgrade Western Road in Leicester started in November

A busy residential road in Leicester's West End will shut for nine days for the final phase of a £700,000 road-improvement scheme.

Resurfacing work to Western Road, between Braunstone Gate and Paton Street, will start on Wednesday 9 April, Leicester City Council said.

It means the stretch of road will be closed to traffic and parking will be suspended while the work is carried out.

The wider scheme, which has included removing dropped kerbs and carriageway drainage work, began in November.

Adjustments will also be made at the junction of Western Road and Briton Street to give priority to vehicles and cycles from Briton Street, the council said.

Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport said Leicester's road network needed regular maintenance to cope with "modern demands".

"The work on Western Road will help improve a busy residential street and important local route to ensure it's in good shape for years to come," he said.

"This will benefit everyone who uses it.

"The final phase of resurfacing will mean some disruption. While the road is closed for a few days, a clearly signposted diversion will be in place and the team will be working hard to keep disruption to a minimum."

Funding from the scheme comes from the Connecting Leicester programme, supported by the Department for Transport's Transforming Cities Fund.