Swindon Borough Council would like to apologise to local residents and businesses for the ongoing work at Mead Way and thank you for your patience as we enter the final few weeks of the project.
It has been well publicised that progress has recently been severely hampered by having to move a host of utility cables, pipes and ducts one by one before the contractor could move on to completing the final road surface.
The final pieces of utility work are now being completed with the latest of these involving Openreach diverting its cables away from the new northbound lane that is being created as part of the scheme. The company also took the opportunity to double its capacity along the road which is a major route within its network in Swindon.
On the road itself, the contractor has begun to lay the base course of asphalt for the new lane alongside the new kerbing that is being installed.
The old roundabout has been removed and this section of road is now being lifted up to improve water drainage. By increasing the height of the road, surface water will run off to the sides of the road into the drainage gullies, improving the safety for road users. This requires a large amount of foundation stone to be brought to the site, which is then compacted before any more tarmac is laid.
If you have visited the area recently you may have noticed that the traffic signal heads have all been installed and cables pulled through to connect them. The Council’s traffic engineers and installers are confirming the software and will be looking to test the system in the next few weeks. They are also working with the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to allow the fire station to turn the lights green at the junction in the event of an emergency.
The bridge deck over the subway has been exposed, which has shown that the bridge itself does not need extensive repairs. However, it will need to be re-waterproofed and this work is due to begin on the weekend. The safety barrier over the subway has been upgraded and finished and will be tied into a new safety barrier either side. The utility services across the bridge deck have been relocated by the utility companies and a new type of ducting system will be shortly installed across the subway.
Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, a burst water main unconnected with the ongoing work, caused the subway to be flooded, and public access was restricted for a few hours while the water was being pumped out by Thames Water. As the water was pumped, mud was left on the pathway and surrounding area, but staff from Britannia wasted no time in making the area safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
It is not currently expected that this will cause any further delays to the scheme.
