Backing for £23m Rugby road improvements

The council said it hoped to improve journey times around the A426

Plans for a £23m scheme to reduce congestion around Rugby in Warwickshire have been backed by councillors.

The work will improve the area around the A426 and Warwickshire County Council said it wants improved bus journey times and better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Work on what it called a "traffic hotspot" is unlikely to start before the summer of 2024.

The authority hopes the Department for Transport will contribute £17.873m.

The remaining money would come from the council's own funds, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Wallace Redford, the councillor responsible for transport and planning, told a cabinet meeting it was a "scheme that has been some time waiting".

The council said the upgrade to the A426/A4071 Avon Mill and Hunters Lane network would reduce the number of cars using the Mill Road tunnel, Murray Road and surrounding residential streets as a rat run.

The scheme will also include a new cycleway and bridge and a new roundabout.