Major projects ahead!

Residents, businesses and visitors are being given advance notice of a series of major projects which will impact on Bath’s roads during 2020.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is making a significant investment to improve air quality, walking and cycling infrastructure as well as future-proofing its road network and making the city centre safe for pedestrians.

Schemes are planned across the city and the council is advising residents, businesses and organisations about the work so they can plan ahead and consider the many other options to get into the city during this period either walking, cycling, using the park and ride and public transport.

It anticipates the most disruption to the road network will run from June to October.

Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for Transport Services, said; “We are investing in ambitious schemes across the city and we want to be really upfront about the works which will happen throughout 2020.

“Our ambition is to improve the city so people can breathe cleaner air, benefit from better walking and cycling routes as well as create opportunities for more jobs and homes. We also want to make the city centre a more secure and inviting place for pedestrians. All of this combined with the need for urgent work to Cleveland Bridge will mean disruption to our roads over the next year with some unavoidable pinch points over the summer. We will do our best to mitigate these. Ultimately we will have better travel options when the works are completed however it will mean a level of disruption at certain times of the year for which we apologise.”

The following schemes are planned to start this year:

• Cleveland Bridge refurbishment to secure its future as a strategic part of the highways network.
• Installing the Clean Air Zone to bring clean air to the city, improve people’s health and encourage sustainable travel choices like walking/cycling/public transport.
• Bath Quays South development bringing new job opportunities to the city.
• Bath Quays North development bringing new job opportunities to the city and housing
• A new pedestrian/cycle bridge linking the Quays developments encouraging sustainable travel and improving connectivity.
• City centre security measures – which will see the council start a process of business and community engagement.

A temporary 18-tonne weight restriction is now in place, along with a diversion route for HGVs, on Cleveland Bridge. It is anticipated, subject to funding that later in the spring up until late autumn the bridge will have shuttle working and over the summer a full closure to enable essential maintenance work to secure the future of the bridge which forms part of the strategic road network for the region.

Work has already started on installing the infrastructure for the Clean Air Zone which will come into effect in November 2020. Lane closures can be expected in Queen Square and work will take place at multiple locations around the zone’s boundary.

Works have already begun on the new pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Bath Quays South to Bath Quays North. Later in the year, this will mean several abnormal loads bringing bridge components to the city, ahead of installation work, this will involve a lane closure of the A367/Green Park Road.

Councillor Wright added: “Each project will play a significant part in creating a cleaner, greener city, delivering homes, jobs as well as playing a part in addressing the climate emergency to help improve people’s lives. We hope people will consider the long-term benefits that these schemes will bring to the city despite the unavoidable disruption that delivering these significant projects created during 2020.”

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