People have just over a week left to have their say over a multi-million pound shake-up in how traffic uses the Prince of Wales Road area of Norwich.

Eastern Daily Press: Mike Stonard. Pic: Sid Frisby.Mike Stonard. Pic: Sid Frisby. (Image: Sid Frisby)

More than 230 people have so far taken part in the consultation over the £2.6m project, which would see changes in Prince of Wales Road, Rose Lane, Mountergate, King Street and Upper King Street.

The proposals include a new pedestrian and cycle link on King Street, between Prince of Wales Road and Rose Lane.

Rose Lane would be narrowed and the bus lane removed and traffic leaving Mountergate car park would be able to turn right, rather than being forced left.

Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council's vice-chair of the Norwich highways agency committee, says: 'We've had a really good number of responses to the consultation so far.

'There's still time to get involved so I'd encourage anyone interested in what happens in this area of the city to share their views and help shape the final project.'

Council bosses had originally proposed banning general traffic from Prince of Wales Road and making it two-way, with only buses, taxis and cyclists allowed. Rose Lane would have been made two-way for general traffic to use.

But, with changes in traffic elsewhere in the city since the closure was first mooted, traffic modelling showed that shutting Prince of Wales Road and making Rose Lane two-way would lead to slower, not quicker, average bus journey times.

In some instances, bus journeys would have been almost two minutes slower, so council bosses scrapped the closure plan.

The online questionnaire is at www.norfolk.gov.uk/princeofwalesroad and the deadline for comments is 10am on Monday, March 5.

After that, the responses will be considered by members of the Norwich highways agency committee in the summer. Depending on their decision, then work could start in September.

Council officers have acknowledged that the work will cause disruption, but have said ti would be carried out in phases,

They say that work on Rose Lane and King Street would probably start first.

While there is £2.6m available to make changes, officers have said they may need to apply for extra cash for the later stages of the project.