A brand-new road linking the 8,000-home New Eastern Villages (NEV) to Commonhead roundabout is set to open in the spring, overcoming setbacks caused by the collapse of contractor Buckingham Group.
The company called in administrator Grant Thornton shortly after completing the Southern Connector Road for Swindon Borough Council.
Safety and technical checks, a contractual obligation unfulfilled by Buckingham before its demise, are now a priority for the Council who are now having discussions with administrators with the aim to finalise legal aspects, ensuring that the road meets the required standards before it is opened to the public.
Over the next few months, the Council will carry out its own technical checks to ensure the road meets the necessary nationally recognised standards and will continue to meet the needs of the local community for decades to come.
Work to protect the archaeology, ecology, and natural landscape around the Southern Connector Road will also continue as planned, including the planting of additional trees in the area.
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “The collapse of Buckingham came completely out of the blue and meant we were not able to open the road as quickly as we would have liked.
“Fortunately for the Council, and local taxpayers, the new road had been built so we were not left with an unfinished road and many of the issues that would have come with it.
“However, with no contractor in place, we now have to complete a lot of quality assurance to make sure the road is fit for purpose. This may involve remedial works and we know we already have to carry out work to the embankments near Pack Hill. There will also be lots of tree planting and ecology work that still needs to take place.
“The good news is that we have recently been able to reopen The Marsh, which will hopefully help local residents and businesses, and we will be working as hard as we can to get the new road open as soon as we can.”
