What to expect as work starts on city's busiest roundabout

About 1,000 tonnes of concrete will be used to fill two Peterborough city centre underpasses as work begins on Monday as part of a major regeneration project.

The subways beneath Queensgate roundabout are set to close, nearly 50 years after they first opened.

The work forms part of the first phase of the £65m Station Quarter scheme, which aims to create a new pedestrian-friendly City Link "gateway" between the railway station and the city centre.

The project is expected to run until May 2027 and will see the Queensgate roundabout – one of the city's busiest junctions – reduced to a single lane for about a year. What disruption can you expect?

The underpasses, which currently provide a route between the station and city centre and have been described as "dark and unwelcoming", will be replaced by a street-level crossing offering direct access to Cowgate.

Preliminary work, including the removal of trees around the roundabout, began in March.

From Monday, the underpasses will close and pedestrians will need to follow signed diversion routes.

People travelling between Peterborough railway station and the city centre will have two main options:

• Continue straight ahead from the station towards Queensgate and use the footbridge or pedestrian crossings for step-free access; or
• Leave via the station car park, turn right onto Bourges Boulevard and use the pedestrian crossing to reach Priestgate or Cowgate

The footpath linking Thorpe Road and Crescent Bridge towards the city centre will also close.

Pedestrians approaching from Crescent Bridge should cross at the Midland Road crossing, follow the path towards the station car park, out on to Bourges Boulevard, and then use the crossings to reach Priestgate or Cowgate.

Cyclists will still be able to travel through the area using the road network, although traffic will be reduced to a single lane around the roundabout.

Vehicle access around the Queensgate roundabout will also be restricted to one lane. Central reservations at each exit will be removed to create space, while the inner lanes will be reserved for construction traffic and site access.

James Collingridge, a council highways officer, said during the works key routes would remain open.

"The drop-off and pick-up area at the railway station will remain in the same location," he said.

The priority parking spaces on the left-hand side of the station entrance, near the British Transport Police office, will be closed and used as a construction compound.

This will temporarily reduce parking capacity by 111 spaces, although the rest of the station car park will remain open as normal.

There will be no restrictions on access to the bus station, although commuters have been warned to expect some delays to bus services.

The council said all Queensgate car parks would remain accessible throughout the project.

Any full closures of the roundabout or surrounding junctions will take place overnight to minimise disruption and will be communicated well in advance.

A traffic management system will be introduced, with traffic flows closely monitored during the early stages of the scheme.

Peterborough City Council leader Shabina Qayyum acknowledged the disruption the works would cause.

"We're sorry about that; we cannot avoid it," she said.

"We're asking people to allow extra time for their journeys and avoid the area where possible.

"Please support this game-changing, once-in-a-generation regeneration project for our city."

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow added: "It's going to be a bit of pain while construction goes on, but it's going to be worth it."

Do you have a story suggestion for Peterborough? Contact us below.

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.