A major roads shake-up, which will ban traffic from travelling across part of Norwich city centre, is going out for a final round of consultation before the work starts.
Plans for the St Andrews Street and Duke Street area will block off one of the last remaining routes for drivers to get across the city centre without using the ring road.
Under Norfolk County Council's plans, drivers heading east from Westwick Street will no longer be able to use St Andrews Street to get to Bank Plain and on to Prince of Wales Road, as St Andrews Street will become one-way.
Instead, traffic from that direction will be funnelled down Duke Street, which already happens for drivers heading westwards.
Vehicles driving from Duke Street to Colegate will be stopped from getting there via the Premier Inn car park, which will include a one-way restriction on Colegate immediately east of the car park exit.
On Muspole Street, at the end of Duke Street, traffic flow and the cycle contraflow will be reversed to stop motorists bypassing the St Andrews Street eastbound restriction.
The work will also see wider footpaths and two-way cycle tracks on Charing Cross, St Andrews Street and Duke Street.
There would also be new crossings on Duke Street and at Charing Cross, with the traffic lights removed.
READ MORE: Norwich's Queens Road set for major traffic changes
The plans, to be paid for using a slice of the £32m awarded by the government's Transforming Cities pot of money, were approved in January last year.
Kay Mason Billig, now the leader of Norfolk County Council, was one of two councillors who voted against it, saying: "The more we squeeze people, the less likely they are to want to shop here."
There is now a final chance for people and businesses, which will be getting letters from County Hall, to have their say on the traffic regulation orders to allow the changes to be made early next year.
The consultation at www.norfolk.gov.uk/dukestreetarea runs until Monday, August 28.
Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "This project will significantly improve not only the look and feel of the Duke Street area but also the facilities available for those travelling through this part of the city centre on foot or by bike
"It has already been part of a wider public consultation and updated to reflect the feedback received so we’re now in the process of finalising the details through the Traffic Regulation Order process ahead of work starting to deliver the scheme early next year.
"I’m looking forward to seeing it completed and added to the impressive network of sustainable transport improvements we’ve been making across Norwich through the Department for Transport's Transforming Cities Fund and alongside our Transport for Norwich project partners."
READ MORE: Exchange Street changes 'damaging' Norwich businesses
PART OF A CONTROVERSIAL SCHEME
The Transport for Norwich scheme is part of the Connecting the Norwich Lanes project.
Council bosses said it would make getting around the heart of Norwich better for pedestrians and cyclists.
That scheme also included the controversial closure of Exchange Street to general traffic.
The road was closed to motorised traffic in 2020, but has triggered anger, from activists blocking the road, because drivers were flouting the restrictions and few fines were being issued, to taxi drivers and businesses unhappy at the closure.
The Transforming Cities money has been used for schemes such as the £6.1m revamp of St Stephens Street and changes to Grapes Hill roundabout.
But even more work is still in the pipeline, including the creation of a £1.2m link road close to Norwich Airport Industrial Estate and changes to the £4.4m Heartsease roundabout.
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