RECENT TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK arising from work building the new Northampton station has led to speculation about when, and if, St James Mill Road will be opened up for through traffic.

Map: click to enlarge

This will join the rear of Nene Valley and St James’ Retail Parks as well as B&Q on the west side of Towcester Road to the back of St James Mill Road’s industrial, business and retail area.

It will link Towcester Road directly to Harvey Reeves Road/Edgar Mobbs Road providing an extra exit west for traffic to the M1 junctions 15A and 16 avoiding Weedon Road in St James.

This will also help with traffic leaving the Saints and Sixfields football grounds. Or will it!? The retail parks on Towcester Road are very busy on Saturdays with the road almost stationary from about 11am till 5pm. They are even busier on Bank Holidays and in December. Will it just clog up the industrial area and adversely affect the trade and retail premises that open at the weekend? We shall see. What do the people working on the industrial area think? Have they been consulted?

The link road, shown on the map, is made by Networks Rail’s decision to de-classify the old Northampton to Bedford railway line which closed to passengers over 50 years ago. The new road does not need a bridge and a further link to Bedford Road via Ransome Road is a possibility some time in the future.