MOTORISTS and residents were able to find out the latest on work at Bruce Street Bridges at an event this week.

A drop-in event was held on Tuesday (MAY 26) at Even Swindon Community Centre, in Jennings Street, allowing people to find out more about how the project is progressing.

The £8m scheme at Bruce Street Bridges started in September last year and is part of the Great Western Way Highway Improvement Scheme, which aims to reduce queuing and improve traffic flow at four major junctions – the Bruce Street Bridges junction, the Cockleberry roundabout, the North Star roundabout and the Transfer Bridges junction.

The current work will see the replacement of the four mini-roundabouts at the Bruce Street Bridges junction in Cheney Manor with a more efficient single roundabout, and the introduction of a traffic signal-controlled junction at Newcome Drive to improve access into the Hawksworth Industrial Estate from Great Western Way.

In November, work started to install extra drainage pipes in nine roads and streets across Cheney Manor to reduce the risk of flooding, which the area has regularly suffered from in periods of heavy rain.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “Work to improve Bruce Street Bridges is progressing well, despite the high number of unknown underground pipes and cables in the area, and we would like to thank motorists for their patience while this multi-million pound scheme is completed.

“People using the junction will have seen the new layout of the junction really start to take shape over the last few weeks and the contractors have continued to improve the drainage system and new footways and kerbs are currently being installed.

“Work to improve the carriageway between North Star and Bruce Street Bridges is also continuing. Next week new pavements will be installed at the junction which will result in traffic being reduced to one lane off-peak.

“The wider flood alleviation work in Cheney Manor Road is almost complete and when the road is reopened deep drainage pipes will be installed at the northern end of Cheney Manor industrial estate between Darby Close and Akers Way.”

Funding for the scheme came from contributions from housing developers, along with cash from the Department of Transport and the Environment Agency.

See swindon.gov.uk/gww