Drivers hit the road at new Blunsdon bypass

1:14pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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MOTORISTS cruised down the Blunsdon bypass for the first time yesterday, after a stretch of the multi-million pound new road was formally opened.

A northbound stretch of the new part of the A419 was opened yesterday morning - with no hiccups.

Traffic lights are now being calibrated to deal with traffic flow along the road.

Developers will soon be moving on to the Turnpike roundabout, which is due for removal soon, followed by the opening of the southbound carriageway.

Robin Miller of the Highways Agency said workers were making remarkable progress on the £65.5m route in spite of last year's floods, which saw plans grind to a halt.

"Summer was supposed to be a time to get the bulk of the work done but last year's floods understandably slowed the work down," he said.

The completion of the Blunsdon bypass is set for the end of the year, something Mr Miller says is still achievable.

"This year work is going well and although we're not ahead of schedule we're doing okay," he said.

Yesterday the Adver reported how the owners of the Blunsdon House Hotel became the very first people to drive on the new Blunsdon bypass on Monday night.

John and Carrie Clifford broke new ground when they drove along the northbound carriageway of the bypass after offering to donate £250 to Cancer Research UK.

Friend Jane Day, who has also been on the new road, said it was a breeze to drive along.

"There were no problems at all," she said.

"People around here have been waiting for this for a long time and it was good to drive along it without any problems."

The Blunsdon bypass is a two-mile dual carriageway designed to link local roads with the A419 by replacing the Turnpike roundabout.

The project has been ongoing since September 2006 and as part of the scheme, the BP garage, and former Little Chef restaurant that stood on the Turnpike Roundabout, were demolished.

Speed restrictions between the Turnpike roundabout and Castle Eaton have been in place since work began and the Highways Agency has warned drivers to take the route carefully until they are accustomed to it.