Cook and Shakespeare Streets safety improvements
Background
The Cook Street and Shakespeare Street roundabout is busy, especially for school-age children and their families. This project will help to create a safer environment for our pedestrians and cyclists.
There has been a strong desire from our community to make safety improvements in this area. Residents of all ages and abilities want to be able to travel in our main urban areas safely and conveniently, without always needing a car.
This project is part of our longer-term plan to provide safer transport links between Cambridge and Leamington.
What's happening?
To minimise disruption, the work will be done in stages. Work began on Wednesday, 29 May, and is expected to take six weeks to complete.
Stage one
These works will be done during the day between the hours of 7.30am and 5pm:
- Footpath widening and updating kerbs
- along the recreation reserve from Cook Street to the pedestrian crossing. A temporary footpath will be in place.
- along the recreation reserve from the pedestrian crossing to the shops. The footpath will be diverted behind the works.
- Work on the berm and footpath in front of the shops, near the Shakespeare Street intersection.
Stage two
This work will be done at night between the hours of 7pm and 5am (starting 17 June 2024):
- Footpath and berm work on the intersection of Shakespeare and Cook Streets.
- Construction of pedestrian crossing platforms. These have been designed specifically for this heavy traffic environment.
We have planned this work so that there will be no construction on the road in the lead up to the Fieldays from 12-15 June, however the road shoulder will be closed during that time.
The red area on the map indicates the footpath and kerb works to be done in the first stage of work along Cook Street. This work will be done prior to the Fieldays.
Why are these works being done?
Cook and Shakespeare Streets have high traffic volumes, with some vehicles approaching the roundabout at speed. Higher speeds and a reasonably complex environment can make gap selection difficult for pedestrians, particularly younger ones.
These improvements are designed to prioritise pedestrian safety and accessibility along Cook Street through to the Shakespeare Street roundabout.
This project follows requests from the community and Cambridge Community Board, with the support of council’s Urban Mobility Working Group.
What can I expect?
Stop/go traffic management will be in place at the recreation reserve to allow vehicles to enter and exit the work site on Cook Street. There will also be stop/go traffic management at the roundabout during the night works.
The works involve heavy machinery, truck crossings, transportation, materials shifting. While this will take place in the work zone, we urge all residents to take care when navigating around the site. We expect the noise levels will be like that of a truck slowing down to stop and then accelerating.
Designated pathways and signposted directions around the work zone will be in place for pedestrians and vehicle. Please adhere to these markings and follow the instructions provided.
How will this impact my business?
Works happening across the front/entrance ways of shops and businesses will be coordinated with the business owners to help avoid impacting on their day-to-day activities. There may be times when some entrances may be temporarily inaccessible. We will do our best to give prior notification to businesses to minimise the disruption.
Will this impact the Fieldays traffic?
There will be no work done on the road in the lead up to the Fieldays from 12-15 June, however the road shoulder will be closed during that time.
Media Releases
24 May 2024 - Pedestrian safety improvements priority for Cook Street
