Shields Road work to finish this weekend

Feb 25 2009 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

IT’S been driving hundreds of people mad for weeks but it looks as if the roadworks in Shields Road will be finished ahead of schedule this weekend.

Motorists in Wishaw and Motherwell have experienced massive delays of up to an hour on simple five-minute journeys since diversions began on February 9. But if all goes to plan, the closed section of road will reopen in the next few days over a week ahead of schedule.

Graham Mackay, Head of Roads and Transportation with North Lanarkshire Council, said: “We understand that road users have experienced frustrations during these works. However, the closure was absolutely necessary.

“The road was not wide enough to accommodate both the works and everyday traffic and to have attempted to do so would have seriously compromised the safety of both road users and our contractors. That’s something we’re not prepared to do.

“I’m sure many people remember the tragic fatality that occurred on Glasgow Road during road works some years ago when the road remained open and a worker was struck by a vehicle.

“None of us ever wants anything like that to happen again so safety considerations are always paramount.”

It appears that the council’s decision to ask the contractors to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week has paid off. Some works remain to be carried out next week, but these will be done using temporary traffic management signals. Once those are complete, the new signals will be fully operational.

Introduced as part of the planning conditions for the ongoing Taylor Wimpey development opening onto Range Road and Excelsior Street, the new signals are complemented by the widening of the approach to Flemington Roundabout. Signals at Jack Street have also been refurbished.

The result will be increased capacity of the road network and better traffic management and therefore less congestion in an area notorious for heavy traffic - and less need for road closures in the future.

Throughout the process, the council says it has made every effort to ensure the works caused minimum disruption. Advance notification was posted, according to legislation, but the council went beyond the simple requirements of law to reach as many people as possible before the works began.

Press releases were issued to all local newspapers, and advance signing was placed on the street in the vicinity of the closure. Electronic signs were also placed on the Glasgow Road diversion route. The council recognises, however, that the works have created an inconvenience.

Graham MacKay commended the speed with which the contractors have completed the job, adding: “We asked them to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and they did. That had a significant effect on the timescale of the works and will allow us to reopen the road a week earlier than originally planned.

“Drivers in the Motherwell and Wishaw areas will be delighted that this stage of the works has reached an end. We know there has been a lot of frustration out there but overall we have to thank road users for bearing with us. The vast majority of drivers showed great responsibility and patience, and we appreciate that. It not only protected public safety, it also protected the safety of those working on the roads.”