Improvements to Whalebridge junction to start next week

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.

The huge regeneration project will stimulate further investment in the town centre by increasing land values and making it more attractive for investors to bring forward retail, residential, office-based or leisure facilities.

The newly-revised Fleming Way will see the road closed to regular traffic, with priority given to buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

In order to make it easier for motorists to navigate around Fleming Way in the future, changes will be made to Whalebridge junction outside the Jury’s Inn hotel to enable traffic to turn both left and go straight ahead, towards Princes Street, on the approach from Corporation Street.

Currently, vehicles travelling south from Manchester Road towards Fleming Way can only turn left towards the mini roundabout near Halfords.

The initial changes to the road layout will begin on Monday and be completed next month by Swindon-based company Lake Edge Ltd.

In order to complete the work, Corporation Street will be closed to through traffic from Monday, 25 July to Thursday, 28 July 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.

A second, larger phase of work will be completed at the Whalebridge junction during 2023, fitting in with the Fleming Way programme of works.

The second phase will include widening the western side of Corporation Street (into the Kimmerfields regeneration site), introducing new cycle lane facilities that link Fleming Way to the Eastern Flyer route and building access roads into the new Kimmerfields development.

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.”

To stay up to date with the latest news on this project and Fleming Way, residents can sign up to the dedicated Fleming Way newsletter at www.swindon.gov.uk/newsletter.