Major scheme to cut congestion on busy town road

Plans to cut congestion on one of Market Harborough's busiest roads have been unveiled.

Leicestershire County Council said it hoped a £1.9m scheme would ease peak-time delays on the A4304 Rockingham Road.

Highways officials said the project would involve upgrading the junctions at St Mary's Road and Clarence Street, and at Rockingham Road and Gores Lane.

The council said work would begin in August and continue into spring 2027, with traffic disruption expected.

As well as upgrading key junctions, a new pedestrian crossing will be installed near Gores Lane, along with a wider shared path for walking and cycling between the railway bridge and Rockingham Industrial Estate.

There will also be more cycle parking, clearer signage, and new trees and street furniture, the council said.

Officials are also proposing a one-way system on Clarence Street as an 18-month trial starting in early August.

Andrew Hamilton-Grey, the council's lead member for highways and transport, said: "This scheme is an important investment in Market Harborough and improves how Rockingham Road works for everyone, now and into the future.

"We want to make the network stronger and more resilient for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and those travelling by public transport."

The scheme is being paid for using funds from developers who have built housing in the area, and money from the government's Active Travel England scheme.

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