ROADS and footways near schools in three locations in Stevenage are being improved to make routes to school safer for pupils. Work will be carried out on Durham Road, Wisden Road and Canterbury Way, with work having started on Durham Road this week as par

ROADS and footways near schools in three locations in Stevenage are being improved to make routes to school safer for pupils.

Work will be carried out on Durham Road, Wisden Road and Canterbury Way, with work having started on Durham Road this week as part of a rolling programme set to take up to eight weeks.

One lane at a time will close at the Martins Way end of Canterbury Way, south of the Islington Way roundabout and adjacent to York Road.

During the entire work period, the roundabout end of York Road will be closed to traffic.

The works in Durham Road are in response to concerns about traffic speeds near The Giles School, as well as poor visibility for pedestrians and lack of formal crossing points along the road.

Work will include installing two new crossing points, and building out the kerb line outside the school to narrow the carriageway.

In response to safety concerns regarding the lack of a designated walking route and crossing point for Trotts Hill pupils coming off Martins Way, Herts Highways will be installing dropped kerbs, removing cracked paving, laying tarmac footways, and installing pedestrian railings at the front of the school.

On Canterbury Way, two new pedestrian crossing points, a footway extension and a pedestrian refuge will be installed in response to concerns raised by The Giles and Trotts Hill schools about pedestrians crossing near the Islington Way roundabout.

"We are continuing to work with schools to help identify any safety problems and find practical solutions to them," said Stuart Pile, Herts County Council's Executive Member for Highways and Transport.