Page 8 - link magazine

Mead Way could

be our western

bypass forever

The long hoped-for extension to contaminated as the authors have
Thamesdown Drive south to Great clearly been instructed the council
Western Way at Barnfield might not does not have the money.
be built after a consultant’s report “Akers Way was designed in the
to Swindon Council concluded the 1960s to serve the new Moredon
£50 million required to build the estate, and there are significant
two lane road would not be cost pinch points on Mead Way which
effective. will limit how much can be done
The report describes cheaper to improve capacity. I can’t see
options to reduce congestion by residents living near these roads
widening Akers Way to access supporting a stop-gap measure in
Cheney Manor industrial estate. the hope Thamesdown Drive will be
They also propose parts of Mead completed some time in the future.
Way can be made into a dual “Only Central Government
carriageway. can fund the completion of
These routes through residential Thamesdown Drive. The council
areas have had to cope with greatly has to commit to preparing the
increased traffic volumes as North economic arguments and the
Swindon has been completed. detailed design to have a credible
Another 2,400 houses at the ‘shovel ready plan’ ready.”
Tadpole Farm and Ridgeway Farm Council highways cabinet member
developments have barely Cllr Dale Heenan said that
started. A public meeting all options should be
Shaw Residents’ considered. “Extending
Association chair to discuss Swindon Thamesdown Drive
Kevin Fisher Council’s scheme to expand is something
is dismayed vehicle capacity on Akers Way residents,
the council is and Mead Way takes place on councillors of all
considering Tuesday 13 January, 7.30pm parties and our
a different Western Community Centre, MPs have wanted
approach. “We are Somerset Road, to see for 20 years. It
very disappointed SN2 1NF remains the ambition
at yet more delays of Swindon Borough
in getting the necessary Council today.
funding for this road extension. “The engineers’ conclusion is that
When North Swindon was being a dose of reality is needed because
planned it was considered a asking crucial questions like ‘would
requirement to connect the A419 to the new road reduce the rush hour
Great Western Way. delays on Whitehill Way, Mead Way
“Halcrow wrote a report in 2008 or Akers Way’ give the answer that
and Swindon Council’s transport says actually ‘no.’ The preferred
strategy in 2009 stated the need to £50m road is not the magic bullet
‘identify the wider benefits of the claimed by some.
link road.’ “Great Western Way would not
“Short term actions to the existing be able to cope with another
road infrastructure are necessary, road joining it. There would be
but the long term solution of longer queues for everyone and
building the link road will remain a so with the benefits being limited,
pipe dream unless decisive action serious thought should be given
is taken.” to alternative solutions. The report
Rodbourne Cheney councillor Des considers several options which
Moffat said: “Thamesdown Drive to cost £15m to show that this is
Barnfield has been in the structure possible.”
plans since the early 1990s. The n See the full story at
most recent technical report is swindonlink.com
8 swindonlink.com n January 2015