Uttoxeter’s Member of Parliament, Kate Kniveton has welcomed the announcement from National Highways, the body responsible for England's motorways and major roads, that it is to begin feasibility works into possible improvements to the A50/A500 corridor.
In a letter to the MP, National Highways outlined that it would work over several months to access the viability and reward of making infrastructure improvements to A50/500, including the stretch through Uttoxeter, ahead of the Government’s third iteration of its Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). It is expected that the Government will announce in the first half of 2024 which schemes demonstrate best value for money and those it intends to deliver between 2025 to 2030 as part of RIS3.
Local MP, Kate Kniveton, has been at the forefront of making the case for investment into the A50/A500 as Project Champion of the North Midlands Manufacturing Corridor alongside Midlands Connect, who have been working to develop transport proposals in the region.
The A50 regularly sees traffic build-up in Uttoxeter as a result of the McDonald's and Derby Road roundabouts that disrupt traffic flow. Proposals developed by Midlands Connect, backed by the local MP, would see the removal of these roundabouts with a new junction built to the east of Uttoxeter, separating local and trunk road traffic to ease congestion, improve road safety and reduce air pollution locally.
Commenting, Kate Kniveton MP said:
“I am delighted that National Highways is going to undertake feasibility studies into the significant set of proposals for the A50/A500 Corridor that I as Project Champion and Midlands Connect have been campaigning for.
“These plans, if enacted, would bring substantial local benefits to Uttoxeter and its residents by the creation of a genuine bypass and improvements to air quality. The proposals would also have a positive impact on the wider region and the Midlands economy by cutting journey times and reducing the amount of time wasted stuck in traffic.
“The fact that these proposals are now going to be actively assessed by National Highways highlights the level of seriousness with which they are being taken by Government and the strong case we have made already for them to be included in RIS3 – today is very much a positive step forward in our campaign for a better A50.”
