A city centre junction which is undergoing improvement works has reopened to ease traffic over the Christmas period.
As the improvement works to the Queen Square junction are not complete, temporary footway surfaces have been installed. These will be replaced with traditional pennant stone paving when work resumes, and sections of footway will be widened to allow more room for walking and wheeling.
The council will leave signs around the junction giving advance notice that works will resume in the New Year.
The junction, between Queen Square and Gay Street, receives heavy foot and vehicle traffic and has had a three-way temporary traffic light system in place since late September to stay open while improvement works took place.
New traffic signals have been installed, replacing older signals which had reached the end of their lifespan. The new signals use LEDs, making them more visible for pedestrians and motorists and also include a pedestrian crossing countdown timer, which shows how much time is left to safely cross.
Low-level cycle signals have also been installed. These are separate from the vehicle signals and turn green before to allow cyclists to set off earlier and more safely.
Road lining at the junction has also been refreshed and a small section of Old King Street has been resurfaced.
The new signals are a significant upgrade and are part of an ongoing effort by Bath & North East Somerset council to encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling in Bath’s city centre by making its roads safer for pedestrians.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport said: “We’re pleased we have been able to get the new traffic signals operational in time for the influx of visitors Bath receives in the build up to Christmas.
“Improvement works like this are so important to keep our traffic network up to date, supporting sustainable travel and improving safety.”
