Swindon roadworks third anniversary 'celebrated' with cake

The work started in March 2020 and should have been finished later that year

A group of councillors and activists have "celebrated" the third anniversary of the start of roadworks by taking along a cake and card.

Mead Way in Swindon has been open to traffic since November 2021 but the project is yet to be completed.

The work, which started in March 2020, was meant to end later that year but was hampered by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Now, fresh safety concerns after a number of collisions mean the scheme still has not finished.

Officers at Swindon Borough Council have announced they are looking at the redrawn junction with the main road and Westmead Drive, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Labour councillor Jim Robbins, the party's candidate for South Swindon Heidi Alexander, and activists brought a cake, card and messages in order to highlight the situation.

A group of Swindon councillors and activists brought along cake to mark the third anniversary of the start of roadworks in Mead Way

Councillor Robbins said: "It gives me no pleasure to be holding another birthday party for Mead Way.

"I would much rather that we were focusing on a well-designed and well-delivered road project, but residents are still suffering after the years of delays and broken promises from the council and now the dangerous layout which seems to be causing near misses on a daily basis.

"Ward councillors still haven't been given sight of the new plans for the junction."

'Better traffic flows'

The Conservative administration at Swindon Borough Council has not responded to the specific point of the 'birthday' of the road works, other than to point out the road has been open for 15 months.

The council's cabinet member for strategic infrastructure and transport Gary Sumner has said: "Officers are still working on a detailed technical analysis of the junction and any potential issues and changes that could be made.

"Members will be able to view any proposed changes and feedback on any concerns directly to highways officers at that time.

"As intended, the scheme has resulted in better traffic flows and the professionals who will oversee the project have to look at all accident data supplied to ensure that causes are fully understood."