Motorists driving into the town centre this week are being warned about works taking place at the Whalebridge junction opposite the Jury’s Inn hotel.
The improvements to Whalebridge junction will be made ahead of one of the town centre’s biggest regeneration schemes.
The £33m Fleming Way improvement scheme, which is part of a £100m investment programme being led by Swindon Borough Council, will create a new welcoming gateway into Swindon by building a new bus interchange, vastly improved public open spaces as well as introducing new cycle lane facilities that link up the main cycling routes across the town.
Currently, vehicles travelling south from Manchester Road towards Fleming Way can only turn left towards the mini roundabout near Halfords.
Changes will be made to the junction to enable traffic to turn both left and go straight ahead, towards Princes Street, on the approach from Corporation Street.
The work, which starts today and will be finished in August, is taking place to improve traffic flow in the area before one of the town centre’s biggest ever regeneration schemes gets underway at Fleming Way.
In order to complete the work, Corporation Street will be closed next week from Monday, 25 July to Thursday, 28 July between 7.30am and 6pm to allow the contractors to safely remove the large triangular traffic island at the junction.
A diversion route will be in place directing traffic along Fleming Way to the Magic Roundabout, along County Road and along Manchester Road and vice versa.
Councillor Gary Sumner, Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure, Transport and Planning, said: “This first phase of the Whalebridge junction improvement works is an important first step in our plans to breathe new life into Swindon town centre and have been carefully sequenced so they take place before we close Fleming Way in September.
“We were always going to remodel Whalebridge junction to help bring forward development at the adjacent Kimmerfields regeneration site, so it made absolute sense to remove the ‘left turn only’ configuration at the same time to make it easier for motorists to go straight on to access Princes Street.
“There will be some inconvenience to motorists when we close Corporation Street for a few days later this month, but I believe the end result will be welcomed by both motorists and local residents who regularly use the junction.”
