New crossings unveiled in Wolverhampton city centre roads revamp

Work has been ongoing in Queen Street for months but the pedestrian crossings between there and Pipers Row, designed to help pedestrians get between the bus station and city centre, are now ready for use.

The work has also included widening the pavements, moving bins and improving access to shops and the bus and railway stations. The new pedestrian crossings were installed last week.

Regeneration chief Councillor Pete Bilson said of the scheme: "Both the council and its partners ambition is to make Wolverhampton city centre a more comfortable place to visit.

"If we're going to achieve it, we have to do all we can to make it welcoming and accessible to everyone.

"The three new crossings we've installed near the Interchange are part of a much wider plan to make it easier for people to move around the city centre and reach our major shopping, cultural and entertainment venues.

"The kind of work that's already been done in Queen Street to widen the footways, move potential obstructions and create a clear walking zone in front of the shops will be repeated in Princess Street and Market Street early next year."

They are part of a wider scheme of improvements designed to make the city centre more pedestrian-friendly and to increase footfall for retailers.

Wolverhampton resident Rita Nicholls and Charlie, her black Labrador Retriever guide dog, made a safe entrance to the city at the opening of the crossings.

Rita said: "When I heard that new crossings were going to be put in, I volunteered Charlie to be the first assistance dog across and of course I wanted to be there with her.

"This is a busy and complicated junction.

"In the past it wasn't just difficult for disabled people, it caused problems for mums with pushchairs, people struggling with their shopping or just trying to get to and from work.

"Now, the traffic from every direction stops at the same time and it's perfectly safe for everyone to cross.

"A pedestrian crossing might not seem much in the grand scheme of things but it's made a massive difference".