Zebra crossings are set to be introduced at a busy St Albans junction to make it safer for pedestrians.
The King Harry junction - which links King Harry Lane, Watling Street, Watford Road and St Stephen’s Hill - will be getting two new zebra crossings, pedestrian safety improvements and a new road surface this month following safety concerns about the current crossing points.
The junction is a vital pedestrian route as well as an important route for traffic heading in and out of the city centre, but there have been concerns that the pavements are unsafe and there are not enough places to cross the road safely.
The county council’s highways contractor, Ringway, will install the zebra crossings, replace kerbs, realign and resurface pavements and resurface the road itself.
County Cllr Sandy Walkington said: “For too long pedestrians have been dicing with death when trying to cross Watling Street and Watford Road at the King Harry junction.
“It has been particularly hazardous for less mobile elderly residents and parents struggling with buggies and toddlers as they walk to the nearby schools and playgroups.
“I am so pleased that my campaign to get these crossings installed has now borne fruit.”
The works will start on Monday, February 18 and are due to take three weeks to complete. The roads need to be completely closed while the work take, but they will be closed in phases to minimise disruption.
St Stephens Hill and Watling Street will be closed between February 18 and February 24 and King Harry Lane and Watford Road will be closed between February 25 and March 3.
After that the resurfacing works will take place overnight between 8pm and 5am, so the roads will remain open in the daytime.
Cabinet member for highways Phil Bibby said: “We want to make our road network safer for pedestrians and make it easier for people to get around on foot.
“We know these improvement works will be disruptive and I’d like to apologise in advance for the inconvenience. I hope people will bear with us while we make these important safety improvements, as the end result will be a safer junction for everyone.”
Details of road closures and diversion routes can be found at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/roadworks
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