Derby Road resurfacing reaches halfway point as next phase gets under way

If you've driven along Derby Road recently, you'll probably know every traffic cone by name.

The £2.3 million resurfacing scheme on the A5121, which began in mid-May, has now passed the halfway mark, with Staffordshire County Council preparing to start the next stage of improvements.

The work covers Derby Road between Derby Turn and the Pirelli roundabout – one of Burton's main routes into the town – and has been carried out under a one-way traffic system for much of the past three months.

So far, engineers have repaired drainage, replaced damaged kerbs and resurfaced sections of the footpaths, laying the groundwork before tackling the road itself.

From Monday 3 August, crews will begin removing the top layer of the carriageway and strengthening sections underneath. This work will continue under the existing one-way traffic management, with vehicles travelling on the side furthest from the residential properties.

Then comes a change for drivers.

From Sunday 9 August, the one-way system will be removed, but Derby Road will instead close completely between Pirelli Island and number 91 Derby Road for around a week.

During the closure, access to The Maltings Industrial Estate and Coytes Carpets will be via a signed diversion using Hawkins Lane.

Residents living within the closure will also be affected, with no on-street parking available while the work is taking place. The council says access to driveways won't always be possible because of the large excavations needed to rebuild sections of the road.

Once that phase is complete, the project will move on to overnight resurfacing of the carriageway.

Councillor Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said the project remains on schedule.

"Derby Road continues to make good progress, which is fantastic to see. Our crews are working hard to complete the work as efficiently as possible, whilst minimising disruption to communities.

 

"We're well over the halfway point with this project and, once complete, it will mean that a major entry point into Burton has been completely resurfaced from the A38 Clay Mills Interchange to the Derby Turns roundabout."

While the temporary traffic management hasn't exactly been Burton's favourite summer attraction, drivers should at least be able to look forward to a much smoother journey once the final layer of tarmac is in place later this year.