Technical faults blamed for congestion at busy Market Harborough junction

Highway bosses say technical faults could be contributing to increased congestion at one of Market Harborough’s busiest junctions.

Leicestershire County Council says it is investigating problems affecting the traffic lights where St Mary’s Road meets Northampton Road and The Square, after complaints from motorists about longer queues and delays.

Some faults have already been repaired, with further work planned.

Work has been taking place to fix faults with traffic lights in Market Harborough town centre

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has called for urgent action, saying recent changes to the traffic light timings have led to significant congestion.

He said: “Although the changes were introduced with the intention of improving traffic management, it is clear the changes are not working and are having the opposite effect.

“Congestion now regularly builds up during peak periods where previously traffic flow was more manageable, journey times are increasing, and drivers are experiencing unnecessary delays.

“There are also wider consequences, including impacts on local businesses, public transport reliability and air quality, as vehicles spend longer periods stuck in queues with engines running.”

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We are actively investigating congestion concerns around traffic signals at The Square/St Mary’s Road junction in Market Harborough.

“Some small technical signal faults have already been fixed and we’re working with our contractor to complete further fixes over the next two weeks. Following this, we will also review local traffic conditions as a whole, considering changes if needed.

“We want to reassure residents that we are taking these concerns seriously and are addressing the faults we have identified.”