A602 project nears approval

The second stage of a £19.4 million improvements project on the A602 between Stevenage and Ware in Hertfordshire has been granted planning permission.

The county council now has to wait until mid-November to see if the Secretary of State decides to call for a public enquiry into the plans as the site is in the Green Belt.

Terry Douris, the council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “This is an extremely busy route and I’m delighted to see the approval of the next step in the progress of this scheme. Once this is completed we should see less congestion and improved journey times on this important route.”

The council has approved plans for work between Anchor Lane and the A10, including an enlarged roundabout at Anchor Lane, a smooth alignment of Westmill Road and traffic signals at the junction of the A602 and the A10.

The proposal also includes changes and improvements to the verges, lighting, drainage and landscaping.

The A602 is a major route linking the A10 and the A1(M) and has been identified for improvements because of tight bends, poor visibility, inadequate junctions and frequent traffic jams caused by vehicles turning right and blocking rush hour traffic.

Planning for the A602 improvement work has been split into four planning applications. The first application covering work at Hertford Road was approved in September 2016. Two more applications for the A119 junction and for the section between Heath Mount School and Stony Hills are due to be filed in 2017.