Duck Street By-Pass?

Like any other town Rushden has a traffic problem. And like all the towns between here and Desborough, a complete solution is a long, long way off.

A ray of hope has found its way through the exhaust fumes. It is almost a side-effect of a minor, comparatively speaking, plan for a couple of pedestrian crossings. The ministry of transport has been given a map of the town and it is hoped that the minister will review the traffic problem as a whole. It is also hoped that subsequent measures will not be piecemeal.

View of Duck Street A possible by-pass route

The ultimate answer is a by-pass – whether it is the small affair which appears on the town map to the east of Rushden and Higham Ferrers, or the £10 million plus scheme for a giant by-pass to the west of the A6, cutting out all towns from Rushden to Desborough.

The Urban Council’s members are making the best of a difficult position, for it is not with them that the final decision rests.

The council is well aware that the town is rapidly becoming a bottleneck, and its greatest single contribution to alleviate the position was the introduction a couple of years ago of the one-way street system. This took south-bound traffic out of the High Street and deflected it to the east along Rectory Road and Newton Road.

It is now the north-bound traffic which needs the attention. That comes along High Street, despite sign-posted diversion. Taking this short cut are drivers who know the town, including many lorry drivers, making High Street potentially dangerous.

An obvious answer is to utilise Duck Street as a by-pass in the manner of Rectory Road. This is already being talked about in certain circles. But it would change Duck Street from a side street into a main road and take the authority out of the hands of the council and put it into those of the County Council.

Further efforts to improve the position are being made on Skinners Hill where the top is already being worked on and where there are plans for the bottom end. Traffic lights will be erected soon at the junction of Rectory Road- Park Road-Newton Road. They are also needed at the Oakley Arms public house.

One of the town's traffic blackspots - it's purely a coincidence that it happens to be outside the council offices. It is hope to improve the situatuon with traffic lights.

If the town is to receive 30,000 more people then something must be done, and done quickly.

A solution must cater for needs at least five years ahead of its actual completion date.

That would make it about ten years from the planning date and say 15 years from when it is first talked about.