DRIVERS have warned of gridlock on Swindon’s roads today.

Traffic is very slow moving on Tewkesbury Way, Great Western Way, Wootton Bassett Road, Queen’s Drive. Mead Way and Gipsy Lane traffic is slow moving.

Many drivers have taken to social media to complain of long journey times.

One said: “If you were thinking of going out, don’t bother. Swindon is gridlocked. Took us 45 minutes to get to Cheney Manor Industrial Estate and another 35 minutes from there to St Joseph’s College.”

Grant Sinclair, 58, who lives near the Outlet Centre, said: "The traffic here is the worst I've seen since living in Rodbourne for six years."

He said a journey to Moredon, which usually takes under five minutes, today took 45 minutes. "It was getting worse as we were sitting in traffic," he added.

The delays are believed to have been exacerbated by road works at Junction 16 of the M4, busy retail outlet traffic, a popular vintage fair at the STEAM Museum and Swindon Town’s home game against Chesterfield.

Traffic is backing up in Churchward and Rodbourne this afternoon, leaving main roads to the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet and Sainsbury's blocked.

Traffic is solid from the designer outlet car park on Penzance Drive all the way along to Paddington Drive to the Meads Roundabout on Great Western Way.  Traffic is flowing freely in the opposite direction towards the outlet.

The southboaund carriageway of Great Western Way between the Meads Roundabout and the Mannington Roundabout is also solid with traffic.

Last week, three Labour councillors in the Mannington and Western ward warned that congestion around the Outlet Village was forcing local businesses to consider shutting on Saturday afternoons - traditionally their busiest times. 

They urged Swindon Borough Council's transport lead Councillor Mary Martin to put in "effective plans to mitigate the impact for local residents". 

Today, Jim Robbins, Labour councillor for Mannington and Western, said: "We were very disappointed that we received no answer to our letter last week, so we will be writing to the council leader to call on the council to take real action ahead of next weekend to improve the situation.

"This cannot keep happening. The people of Rodbourne deserve a better level of service than the administration is delivering at the moment."

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