Major works to reconstruct a road in Bath city centre are due to start on the 26th of May.
It’s going to affect Manvers Street, which is built above vaults, cellars and concrete slabs that were laid during the 1940s and have deteriorated over time along with the road’s foundations. They are now to be replaced to ensure the road’s long-term safety and resilience.
Contractors will excavate the road to reach the top of the vaults and cellars below before replacing the existing slabs and foundations. The work will provide a permanent solution that is more suited to the demands of modern traffic and will better protect the road.
Bath & North East Somerset Council expects the works to take up to six months to complete.
Manvers Street will be closed to all vehicles between its junctions with Henry Street and Dorchester Street as the works take place, drivers can still use Manvers Street Car Park.
Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout; cyclists will need to dismount. Bus stops along Manvers Street will be suspended, services diverted and updated routes and timetables will be available on bus operator websites.
The council will be taking advantage of the road closure to make improvements to pavements and street lighting and will also work with utility companies to renew their infrastructure, reducing the need for potential disruption in the future.
Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, said: “We know a big project like this will have an impact and as always we will do what we can to reduce disruption. This is a complex piece of work which will better protect what is above and below ground for a long time. Carrying the work out now will avoid emergency works in the future which would be much more disruptive.”
The council will keep residents and businesses informed throughout the project and is holding a drop-in information session on 28 April in the Brunswick Room of the Guildhall from 11am to 3.30pm.
The remedial work in Manvers Street is one of several projects being delivered by the council this year in Bath city centre, improving the city’s infrastructure, road safety and travel choices.
For more information on this project please visit the council’s website or subscribe to the project’s monthly newsletter.
Editor’s note: I have seen this coming for some time. Bath is built on cellars and its road system was never meant to deal with the volume and weight of the traffic now flowing through it.
There have been similar cellar issues alongside the Roman Baths which are being closely monitored. Are the barriers in James Street West an indication of further issues?
We’ve got electric buses coming soon. Will the cellars of Great Pulteney Street take the weight?
Perish too the idea of making Pulteney Bridge a major bus route. Just asking for trouble.
