MP intervenes over Corby weekend road chaos which saw motorists trapped in jams across the town

Drivers reported being caught in serious jams that originated in Oakley Road, and then spread to other roads across the entire town, as a result of several sets of competing roadworks.

Now MP Lee Barron has asked North Northamptonshire Council to urgently review traffic management to head-off a repeat performance.

At the height of the chaos. Turner Road was closed, and Jubilee Avenue was only operating with one lane. Tesco traffic lights also became stuck on green at one point.

A scheme to add lanes to the roundabout at Lloyds Road / Geddington Road and improve Weldon Road to prepare for extra traffic generated by the new Nike site meant that Weldon Road was closed at one point, and Oakley Road at another.

Planned council roadworks to fix ironworks in the Oakley Road carriageway were due to go ahead over the weekend but were cancelled at the last minute after issues on Saturday.

A crescendo of works at the weekend saw some motorists being trapped in a standstill at the Tesco junction for nearly an hour. Others missed trains after not being able to get to Corby Railway Station. It’s a situation that residents in Corby have never had to regularly face before the past year as the town was built with traffic in mind, meaning jams were rare.

Mr Barron said that many drivers had been in touch with him to share their own frustrations following a ‘weekend of misery’

He has now written to Councillor Martin Griffiths, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, calling on the council to coordinate future and existing works. In the letter Lee said: “We all know that road works are necessary. I have made my own representations on the urgent need to repair potholes, but surely it is in everyone's interest to plan the roadworks to cause the minimum amount of disruption and not to create havoc for the travelling public.

“Miles of road are being impacted all around the town which is causing massive frustration. I have had complaints of missed appointments, businesses losing customers, parents not being able to pick children up and journey times increased by hours.

“This is totally unacceptable, and an immediate review is needed so that roadworks can be planned in a way which will minimalise disruption and a plan to ensure the public are aware so they can plan journeys.”

Cllr Chris McGiffen, the council’s Executive Member for Highways and Travel has now promised that the authority will take a close look at roadworks planned for the coming months.

He told the Northants Telegraph: “We recognise the frustration experienced by residents and road users in Corby over the weekend. The congestion was primarily linked to a planned road closure on Weldon Road for Section 278 works connected to the Nike development. Advance warning signs, diversion routes and hard closures were all in place, but unfortunately many drivers continued towards the closure point, which significantly added to the delays experienced.

That said, we fully understand the impact this had on people trying to go about their daily activities, including those who were delayed near Tesco or who struggled to reach the railway station on time.

We have already reduced our own planned maintenance works in Corby to the bare minimum to ease pressure on the network. We will now be reviewing all current and upcoming works scheduled over the next 6 -12 months to see what more can be done to minimise disruption and improve coordination across the town.

We remain committed to improving how works are planned, communicated and delivered, and we will continue to work with contractors, utilities and partners to reduce the impact on residents wherever possible.