Swindon Borough Council is moving ahead with repairs to the Southern Connector Road bridge in a bid to get construction lorries serving the New Eastern Villages off residential roads.
The Council is currently seeking a contractor to carry out the initial bridge repairs, with work expected to begin in December, subject to the procurement process being completed successfully.
If the work stays on schedule, construction traffic could begin using the Southern Connector Road as its main route from spring 2027.
That would remove the need for development traffic to regularly reach construction sites via Merlin Way and Wanborough Road, where residents have raised concerns about the impact of heavy vehicles.
The Southern Connector Road is intended to provide a link between the New Eastern Villages and Commonhead roundabout, but has remained closed to the public since significant defects were discovered following the collapse of contractor Buckingham Group in 2023.
The problems were identified before the road was handed over to the Council.
The immediate aim of the latest work is not to reopen the road to the general public, but to make it safe enough for construction traffic to use instead of residential routes.
Even after the bridge repairs, the SCR will remain closed to public traffic.
Security staff will continue to monitor vehicles using the route, recording details including vehicle type, weight and loads as part of ongoing monitoring of the bridge.
The Council is also looking at longer-term options for the road, including potential sources of funding for more extensive remedial work.
Those works would be needed before the Southern Connector Road and its associated footpaths could eventually be opened to the public.
Councillor Nick Gardiner, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said residents had made clear the impact construction traffic was having on local communities.
“Our priority is to get those lorries onto the Southern Connector Road as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said.
“We are now progressing the procurement of a contractor to carry out the bridge repairs needed to make that happen and, if everything goes to plan, construction traffic could be using the route from next spring.”
He added that the road would remain closed to the public while safety remained the priority, but said the repairs represented an important step towards finding a longer-term solution.
The Council will continue monitoring the bridge and road while exploring funding and options for the more extensive work that would ultimately be required to bring the route fully back into public use.
