MOTORISTS who have had to endure the road restrictions brought about as part of Clockwise Chester will experience a little relief from Monday (October 25), as Nicholas Street reopens in both directions.
The city centre road has only had traffic flowing from Grosvenor Roundabout to Watergate Street for the past year, as part of extensive works to upgrade Chester's drainage system through new drainage tunnels installed underneath a series of main roads.
Cheshire West and Chester Council says the works are needed to help facilitate the extra capacity required by the under-construction Northgate Development, and to increase Chester's drainage capacity and should reduce instances of flooding and drain bursts in the city centre, as well as reduce the number of untreated sewage discharges into the river due to heavy rainfall when the current network is already at capacity.
The tweaked Clockwise Chester map.
The authority has confirmed that the Clockwise works remain on schedule, as the first phase of lifting the Clockwise diversions on Chester's inner ring road will begin as planned on Monday, October 25.
This means that two-way traffic will be allowed along Nicholas Street, following completion of the first five sections of the new surface water drain.
Nicholas Street, Chester, is reopening in both directions.
The southbound lane along Nicholas Street between the Watergate Street junction and the Grosvenor Roundabout will allow traffic coming from the Sealand Road/New Crane Street direction to turn left or right at the junction with the inner ring road, and reduce journey times by removing the need to follow a Clockwise loop to leave the city via the Grosvenor Bridge.
The Weaver Street junction with Nicholas Street will also allow for a left or right turn.
Nicholas Street and St Martins Way will remain open to northbound traffic during the reinstatement works, but will be limited to one lane until after the Hunter Street junction to enable a safe working area for the central reservation reinstatement.
Work will commence in January to remove other sections of the Clockwise diversions, including to allow southbound traffic from the Fountains Roundabout along St Martins Way and returning the section along Vicars Lane past the amphitheatre to two-way traffic.
Further announcements will be made to confirm the dates and the reopening of Nuns Road and Castle Drive once the remaining drainage tunnel works are completed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here