MAJOR improvement works are to be carried out on a busy road in the South Wye area of Hereford.

Later this month, work will be done to Holme Lacy Road in a bid to improve pedestrian and cyclist access, taking around 14 weeks to complete.

The work includes narrowing the existing carriageway to provide a measure of traffic calming and installing three toucan crossings outside the Co-operative stores, Post Office and near Oak Crescent.

Footways will also be widened to provide off-road cycling facilities. Motorists are being urged to avoid the area for the duration of the work or find alternative ways of travelling.

Councillor Paul Rone, cabinet member highways and transport said: "This scheme is designed to support sustainable ways of travelling to and from Hereford’s Enterprise Zone; shifting the emphasis from the car to pedestrians and cyclists.

"The construction of the Rotherwas access road has meant that heavy traffic doesn’t need to use Holme Lacy Road and this scheme is designed to encourage cars away from Holme Lacy Road as a way of accessing Rotherwas.

"The scheme will make walking and cycling much safer for everyone living in the area and travelling to school and work on a daily basis.”

The scheme does not include works to the section of the road where a school bus overturned in November 2014.

Campaigners including Holme Lacy parish councillors, had called for barriers to be installed along the road to warn drivers of the drop.

The driver of the bus, Eileen Hampton, was in intensive care for several weeks following the crash which also saw more than 20 children taken to hospital.

But Balfour Beatty Living Places, on behalf of Herefordshire Council, said it has completed improvement works to improve the safety measures on the B4399.

These works included new signage and road linings such as the installation of ‘road narrows’ and ‘weight limit’ advanced warning signs, the installation of additional ‘slow’ road markings and the introduction of ribbed edge carriageway markings, as well as clearing overgrown vegetation, hedge trimming and tree and branch removal to increase and improve road users’ visibility.

A team is currently monitoring the effect these works are having on the traffic on the B4399, after which consideration of whether additional works are still required will take place.

More information about the Holme Lacy works scheme, including diversion routes and traffic management plans, can be found at herefordshire.gov.uk/holmelacyroadscheme