Junction 15 of the M4 will be upgraded as part of Swindon Borough Council’s drive to improve key highway interchanges before thousands of new homes are built in the coming years.
The multi-million pound improvement scheme was announced on 20 October by the Government and is supported by the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership. The scheme will be jointly funded by Highways England’s Growth and Housing Fund and developer contributions, with Persimmon and Redrow being key partners in both the funding and delivery. Highways England’s Growth and Housing Fund will provide up to £5m for the improvements.
At present motorists using the junction experience significant delays during peak periods and traffic volumes will increase in the coming years as a result of the ongoing development at nearby Commonhead and other planned housing developments across the borough.
The package of improvements include widening the southbound carriageway of the A419 between the Commonhead Interchange and Junction 15 and the creation of a dedicated left-turn slip road for traffic travelling from the A419 to the M4 eastbound towards London to help relieve current congestion and accommodate future traffic from new development.
All slip roads leading from the M4 to the Junction 15 roundabout will be widened as will the A346 approach to the junction from Marlborough.
The improvements will increase the capacity of the junction, reducing congestion and improving safety for drivers.
Highways England, the Council, Persimmon and Redrow have been working closely to prepare early scheme designs and will turn this into a detailed design over the next two years.
The Junction 15 improvements are part of a strategic plan by Swindon Borough Council to improve the borough’s road network before tens of thousands of new homes are built over the next 20 years.
Similar improvements are about to get underway at Junction 16 of the M4, while millions of pounds have also been spent on key junctions within the town.
The works on Junction 15 are planned to take place between 2018 and 2020 and will not start until the improvements to Junction 16 have been substantially completed to minimise the disruption experienced by road users.
Cllr Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Highways and Transport, said: “Anyone who uses Junction 15 of the M4 at rush hour will know all about the lengthy queues, and delays, which have become a regular issue.
“It is essential we carry out this critical upgrade work to ensure the junction is fit for purpose for today’s traffic, and make sure it copes with the future traffic that we know will come from Swindon’s continued expansion.
“The announcement by the Government confirms a crucial scheme in Swindon’s five-year plan of investing in local roads. ‘Infrastructure must be built before houses’ is something councillors hear all the time from residents, and this is exactly what we are trying to do. Securing the money in advance is one of the trickiest parts of the puzzle so today’s news is music to our ears.
“As soon as improvements to Junction 16 are completed in 2018 then work will start on Junction 15. Swindon remains open for business.”
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