A slip road in Eaton will remain open to pedestrians while works are carried out to improve cycle access to the village – much to the relief of those in the area.
Nine weeks of work to add a shared cycle path along Eaton Street, between Eaton and Cringleford, get under way on Monday, which will see a slip road into the village close for five weeks.
And while villagers unsuccessfully petitioned against the closure of the slip road off Newmarket Road altogether, their concerns were exacerbated when it was revealed the works would close the road to pedestrians.
However, this is no longer the case, after Transport for Norwich made a U-turn and guaranteed pedestrian access would be maintained.
Judith Lubbock, Norwich City Councillor for the Eaton ward, said: 'The fact pedestrians will be able to get down the road is a help.
'People do need to walk down there to get to places like the Cellar House pub, the post office and other businesses in the area, so it wasn't unreasonable to ask for this.'
A TfN spokesman said: 'Initial construction plans closed part of the slip road to pedestrians, with a diversion route in place.
'Although the local businesses are outside the closure point, we've been working with our contractor to find a way to maintain pedestrian access through the closure, along the full length of the slip road, so they can be accessed from both directions rather than just one.
'We're pleased that a solution has been found.'
The works are the second phase of a scheme that previously saw new traffic signals installed either side of the Cringleford bridge to help manage queuing and traffic flow.
Norfolk County Councillor John Fisher, chairman of the Norwich Highways Agency Committee, said: 'This project is designed to improve traffic flow for all road users, marking a positive and lasting change for transport facilities in the area.
'When finished, it will complete improvements to the area, which started in Cringleford last year.'
The works include installing new traffic signals at the Bluebell Road/Eaton Street crossroads and widening the cycle track from Newmarket Road to make it two-way.
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