Warwickshire News Mine

During the second half of January, work started on Bilton Lane junction. This will involve the use of temporary traffic signals during its construction, but disruption to traffic will be kept to a minimum. It is expected that Bilton Road junction will be completed by the end of May.

Work is also about to start on the construction of the Cawston Underpass which spans the disused railway line and links the existing Cawston Grange Drive/Whitefriars Drive roundabout to a proposed three spur roundabout on the main line of the new relief road. 

Unfortunately it will be necessary for some construction traffic to use a length of Cawston Grange Drive to gain access to the Underpass site but this will be minimal, and only until May.  Cawston Grange Drive will not be used by the heavier traffic involved with the construction of the main relief road.

Piling operations are soon to start on Parkfield Road Railway Bridge. This is to provide substantial foundations to the new structure.
There have also been delays to the construction of the River Avon Bridge owing to flooding in mid January. This is now expected to commence mid February.

The progress of the operations has resulted in the footpaths and bridleways that cross the route having to be closed and diversions arranged. More details are available at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/rwrr

Similarly details of the diversion of Parkfield Road can also be found at this web address.

Work got underway in late summer 2007 on the £36.6 million scheme, with the two-year contract awarded by Warwickshire County Council to Carillion Regional Civil Engineering who competitively tendered for the works. 

The 6km road will stretch from Potford’s Dam on the A4071 to the Avon Mill roundabout at the junction of Newbold Road and the A426 (Leicester Road). The relief road will bring various benefits to the area including:

the removal of through traffic from both Cawston and Bilton villages
the reduction of congestion in the town centre in particular Bilton Road, Newbold Road, Corporation Street and Warwick Street Gyratory.
increased cycling facilities in the Rugby area
allowing the possibility of the railway line re-opening in future.

The informative website at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/rwrr is proving popular with 6,285 people visiting the website in December and 6,226 checking the Warwickshire County Council Rugby Western Relief Road pages in November.

This compares to September, when just 1,633 visited the pages, and October, where 2,122 visited the pages.

The website provides a host of information and latest developments on the works, including details on the Parkfield Road closure and diversion routes, footpath closures and diversions, ecology measures being taken as part of the works (including the efforts to protect the Great Crested Newt), landscaping plans (such as 2,000 reeds being planted to help with pollution control), and the general programme of works.

Link to WCC