A date has been confirmed for the introduction of a new 20mph zone that will affect more than a dozen Swindon roads.
On Sunday, Cllr Matthew Vallender - who is a ward councillor for the area and a Cabinet member for Culture, Planning and Regeneration - shared an update he received from Swindon Borough Council’s Highways department about the installation of the South Marston 20mph zone.
Throughout August, there will be works to install the additional buildouts, paint the roundels and put up road signs which will be undertaken using stop-and-go traffic direction rather than partial or full road closures.
On this updated programme, the 20mph zone then goes into effect from Tuesday, September 1.
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To avoid a second closure on Old Vicarage Lane between Nightingale Lane/Magdalene Close and Manor Cottages, Cllr Vallender has been liaising with SBC Highways and the developers to install the buildout under the terms of the current closure with a slight extension.
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This avoids this section of road on Old Vicarage Lane having to close a second time in the near future
He added: “I’m very pleased to see these works finally progress, and as promised during the elections, I will then begin working with SBC Highways on extending the zone through The Bends on Highworth Road, as was repeatedly requested by residents in that area through the election period and most recent Have Your Say event in the village hall.”
Plans to reduce the limit on 17 roads have been in the works for months.
Official documents submitted by the council back in February state that this is to "minimise the risk of collisions occurring and to ensure that when collisions do occur, the impacts are unlikely to result in death or serious injury."
Old Vicarage Road, Nightingale Lane, Thornhill Road, Highworth Road, Ash Gardens, Bell Gardens, Bryon Court, Chapel Lane , Manor Park, Fuller Gardens, Greenfields, Manor Meadows, Manor Park, Quarrybrook Close, Rawlings Close, St Julian’s Close and Yew Tree Gardens will all be affected.
Thornhill Road, which has previously been declared a 40mph HGV 'rat-run', is one of the 17 roads set to have its speed limit reduced.
Concerns were previously raised about safety on the road when a college bus taking South Marston students to Cirencester College was diverted back in November 2017, leaving students to walk along the unlit country lane.
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