Work is to start on installing traffic lights at the Gaul Road, March, junction with the A141 on July 2.

Cambs Times: Gaul Road and A141 junction March.Gaul Road and A141 junction March. (Image: Archant)

The announcement from Cambridgeshire County Council has been welcomed by March councillor Steve Count, who is also council leader.

“I am delighted to see all of the pressure put on by Councillor Jan French and myself alongside officers, has finally paid off with a start date,” he said.

“To say it is overdue, is in my eyes a gross understatement and I will never believe it was truly necessary we had to wait so long for this to be delivered.

“This project is vital to improve the safety at this notorious black spot and the people that live locally and like myself use these roads, will only truly be happy once the works are finally completed.”

Road closure of Gaul Road from A141 Junction to Damson Drive will be for 22 weeks from July 2 with completion expected on or before November 30.

A141/Gaul Road Junction (17 weeks)

Phase 1 – July 2- August 24

Phase 2 – August 27- October

Phase 3 – September 3 – October 26

Gaul Road Widening Works East of Damson Drive (15 weeks)

Phases 1 to 7 - August 13- November 30

Cllr Count has been pressing hard for completion of the traffic lights – one of the conditions imposed on house builders Cannon Kirk for being allowed permission to build on Gaul Road.

Numerous difficulties were encountered in commencing the work including more recently the county’s refusal to discharge one of the planning conditions until detailed information had been presented to tackle drainage and for hydraulic calculations showing summer and winter storm durations.

Cllr Count has always pledged that “minimising the disruption will require careful planning.

“We all need to be prepared for the disruption this will cause to the highway network around March.”

Cllr Count said: “I’ve been fighting to get this done for many years. I’m fed up just like all of the March residents. But I keep trying and I put every bit of pressure I possibly can on.”

Traffic lights were deemed essential to deal with the expected increase in traffic merging onto the town’s bypass once a total of 200 new homes by three different developers have been built.