A city councillor has thrown his support behind a toucan crossing on Bath Road despite a 10-week road closure nearby needed to complete it.

Worcester city councillor Louis Stephen, who represents Battenhall, said the closures would be "short term pain for long term gain", as he backed plans for the new crossing.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Worcestershire County Council said that Norton Road will be closed for 10 weeks between its junctions with Aldersey Close and Bath Road whilst a toucan crossing is installed on the latter.

Cllr Stephen said: "When they (Worcestershire County Council) do resurfacing work, they do do things quite quickly, and they will try and minimise the disruption on the main road.

"Norton Road will be closed for a period of time, though there are alternative ways to get around, but it will be short-lived.

"I'm reasonably confident that the county council will complete the work on time, because often they overestimate a little anyway."

The county council has confirmed that a portion of Bath Road with be closed on July 21 and 28 whilst a pedestrian refuge area is removed ahead of the crossing installation, and temporary lights will be in place during the project.

The toucan crossing will be in developed near Bath Road's junction with Norton RoadThe toucan crossing will be in developed near Bath Road's junction with Norton Road (Image: Worcestershire County Council)

A toucan crossing is one that allows for pedestrians and cyclists to cross safely, and Cllr Stephen marked road safety as a big factor behind its installation.

The Green councillor added: "One of the barriers to more cycling in the city is having safe places for people to do so. This crossing will help resolve a difficult junction for walking and cycling.

"The Bath Road is quite a busy one and quite a lot of people speed there, so a toucan crossing can only help improve road safety for vulnerable people, including cyclists and pedestrians.

"It's a great addition to the infrastructure for the city."

"We want people to walk and cycle to school, and use active travel where possible, so this will help remove barriers towards that."

As part of the works, Bath Road will have closures on September 8 and 15 for high-friction surfacing to be laid.

A previous headline on the story incorrectly said Bath Road would shut for weeks. Only Norton Road will close for 10 weeks.