UNBLOCKING a notorious traffic bottleneck between Rugby and Lutterworth could ‘supercharge’ the local economy, new figures suggest.
Statistics released by Midlands Connect show that within three miles of the A5/A426 Gibbet Hill junction, strategic companies collectively support nearly 19,000 jobs and generate more than £2.9billion in annual turnover.
The vital junction, which connects the M1 and M6 at the heart of England’s ‘Logistics Golden Triangle’, suffers from daily congestion and severe delays which hamper the efficient movement of goods.
Midlands Connect’s Roads Programme Lead, Swati Mittal, said investment in road upgrades could help ‘supercharge’ the area’s economic growth.
She said: “The Gibbet Hill junction is a vital access point at the heart of the Logistics Golden Triangle, serving major sites such as Magna Park, DIRFT, and Rugby Gateway. Any investment in road upgrades could supercharge the area’s economic growth.
“It connects key employment sites and housing developments to the A5, M1, and M6, enabling both national freight movements and access to labour markets. New analysis of strategic companies within 5km of the junction highlights the scale of economic activity dependent on this corridor.”
In May, Midlands Connect showed that there could be 47,600 extra trips a week using the junction – which is at 98% capacity every morning – if improvements were made.
When 500 people were asked by Cenuswide for Midlands Connect whether they would see upgrades to the junction as important to the local economy, 75 per cent agreed it would boost the economy.
Rugby MP John Slinger said: “This project will improve traffic flow in a strategically important location.
“I’ve recently met with the Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport, Lillian Greenwood, neighbouring MP Alberto Costa, and National Highways, and I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure this project moves forward swiftly – so that Rugby and the surrounding area can benefit fully from these improvements.”
