More than 50 roads across Swindon will again be free of roadworks over the festive season when Swindon Borough Council’s Christmas embargo comes into force from Friday (9 Dec).
The embargo will prevent planned highways or utilities work from being carried out Swindon’s major routes until Tuesday, 3 January.
The embargo will cover all the main arterial routes in Swindon and, in particular, major routes in the town centre, and has been introduced to help drivers in the run-up to the Christmas and New Year period.
Two major highway schemes will be exempt from the embargo. The improvements to Greenbridge Roundabout will continue, although with surfacing work set to be completed on Friday (9 Dec) most of the work after this point will be carried out off the carriageway.
Work to redesign Junction 16 of the M4 will also carry on into the embargo period with some off-peak lane closures throughout December. However, construction works will finish between Friday, 23 December and 3 January and traffic lanes will be fully available via traffic management.
If any emergency or urgent works need to be carried out on the roads included in the embargo, the Council will work with utility companies to keep any disruption to a minimum.
Cllr Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for transport, said: “This is a busy time of year and it is important we try and keep our roads free from roadworks during this time to minimise potential traffic jams and allow people to do their Christmas shopping with the minimum of fuss.
“The surfacing works at Greenbridge were scheduled to take place prior to the embargo so that the worst of the disruption was over before the Christmas holidays began and the junction is really beginning to take shape.
“A number of improvements have been made to the borough’s roads this year and that will continue into 2017 with the completion of Greenbridge Roundabout, the continuing redesign of Junction 16 and the planned carriageway improvements on Akers Way.”
