A regeneration scheme for a historic part of Norwich city centre gets under way next month - and will see 14 weeks of roadworks along the way.
Work to overhaul part of the Tombland area begins on August 10, which will see a complete reconfiguration of the Cathedral side of the road to create greater space for pedestrians and the removal of the redundant public toilets.
However, in order for the works to be carried out, the road will be entirely closed to city centre-bound traffic for more than three months and bus services diverted.
The £2.5m revamp of the area will be in part funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund, as one of the schemes to have survived a scaled back bid, after it emerged the joint bid from the city and county councils would not be shortlisted for as great a share of the pot that had been hoped.
The reconfiguration will see the Tombland bus stop moved along the road onto Upper King Street, new public spaced opened up by the removal of the one-way loading and taxi road and some of the streets historic features moved.
These include two red telephone boxes and an obelisk drinking fountain, which will both be slightly shifted to create more space.
The scheme will also see the disused public toilets, which have become something of an eyesore, demolished and the space cobbled over.
The changes will allow for more walking space for pedestrians, while also opening up further outdoor seating area, with benches also included in the project.
Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for transport, previously said of the scheme: “This is something I have wanted to see for some time and will open up one of the most historically significant parts of the city.”
The removal of city-bound traffic for the duration of the works will see bus services diverted, with a temporary bus stops being placed on New Botolph Street and Bank Plain for passengers wishing to access Anglia Square or Tombland.
The works begin on Monday, August 10 and are scheduled to be completed on Friday, November 13.
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