Construction complete
The A602 and cycleway are now fully open:
- The road and cycleway are now fully open. The new section of road and the A119 roundabout are subject to a 50mph speed limit.
Why we changed the A602
The A602 is a very busy road, but there were problems in places:
- vehicles turning right were blocking traffic behind, causing delays
- tight bends and poor visibility made the road less safe than it could be
- often long queues at junctions.
Improvements we've made
To improve the major junctions, reduce delays and make the route safer, we have completed the A602 Improvements works at these locations:
- A119 junction - enlarged roundabout, two-lane entry on each arm and segregated left-hand turn lane from Stevenage to Ware.
- Ware Road - realigned the road to make a safer and smoother drive and added right-hand turn lanes to reduce congestion.
- Sacombe Pound junction - the junction was upgraded and a new bridge and cycleway built to allow safe crossing under the A602 for people walking and cycling.
- Stoneyhills junction - the northern arm of the junction was realigned to provide better visibility and the southern arm was changed to a bridleway.
We have already made improvements at:
- Hertford Road junction
- Anchor Lane roundabout
- Westmill Road
- A10 junction
Steps to complete the project
Step 1: Early options
We looked at a number of options for improving the A602, to reduce traffic congestion. We put this together into a business case.
Step 2: Seeking funding
Funding has been approved by the Local Enterprise Partnership and Hertfordshire County Council which allowed the project to progress.
Step 3: Developing the scheme
The Local Transport Body consulted on the business case. The consultation ended in August 2014 and helped us decide that the project is value for money.
We held a public exhibition in May 2015. This gave us a chance to find out what you think about the project prior to submitting the planning applications.
A report was put before the Development Control Committee following a period of consultation.
Step 4: Getting permission / planning applications
Planning permission for the works can be viewed on the planning portal, following the links below:
Side Roads Order
The Department of Transport approved the Hertfordshire County Council (A602 Improvements (Watton-at-Stone to Tonwell) Classified Road) Side Roads Order 2019. This is a statutory process that must be consulted on prior to making changes to any side or access roads.
If you would like to see the side road orders, email a602improvements@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Step 5: Construction
Main works
Contractor, Tilbury Douglas, was responsible for the construction of the new A602 alignment, upgrade to the A119 roundabout and the new route for walkers and cyclists.
The road successfully opened in August 2023, and the cycle route opened in September 2023.
Want to know more?
Now that the works are complete, no further newsletters will be issued to the community. If you have any queries about the scheme you can contact us on email a602improvements@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
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