Trowbridge bridge shuts one way as 11-week closure begins

As of Monday, July 7, Castle Street Bridge – otherwise known as Cradle Bridge – closed to southbound traffic for 11 weeks.

The closure is part of preliminary work to strengthen Cradle Bridge to make it safer for pedestrians before works on Longfield Gyratory start next month.

Wiltshire Council announced works will begin as part of an extensive and multi-phase roadworks improvement programme on the Longfield Gyratory, a meeting point for roads such as County Way and Castle Street.

The full programme of works is expected to begin on Monday, July 21 and won't conclude until April next year.

According to the council, the project aims to increase capacity on the gyratory to improve journey times for motorists, while also upgrading crossing points to improve safety for pedestrians and support the development of the new Trowbridge leisure centre, which is currently under construction.

Signs at the site of the roadworks at Castle Street Bridge on Thursday, July 3. (Image: Newsquest)

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The carriageway will be widened at various points to allow for better lane allocation, improve clarity and lane discipline, and ensure that larger vehicles can manoeuvre without straddling lanes, thereby maintaining capacity.

The council say the upgrade will also improve the coordination between signals and help pedestrians to cross safely, while also improving traffic flow around the gyratory.

The council has said works will also include a “complete modernisation” of the traffic signals.

The existing setup, which consists of several standalone signal crossings that are manually linked through phase timings, will be replaced with a system using two advanced signal controllers.

The project also includes the refurbishment of the traffic signals at Tesco on County Way, which will be integrated into the new system to improve connectivity across the area.

As part of the plans for the new leisure centre, which is currently under construction on the East Wing site at County Hall, a signal-controlled junction will be built to manage access in and out of the site.

This junction will include pedestrian and cyclist crossings and additional lanes will also be created between the leisure centre access and the gyratory to increase capacity for more vehicles and minimise any potential impact on traffic flows.

On a post shared on the public social media page, Trowbridge community hub, a number of residents hit out at the plans.

Michael Bailey said: “Trowbridge is like a concrete jungle, highways got it totally wrong I'm surprised the government have given them all these thousands better spent on potholes help the homeless or even put a bypass through Beanacre.”

On the same group, Sean Honeywell replied to another post about the plans: “So a major roundabout with lights on into a minor one with lights on. Am I the only one that sees this will just get gridlocked worse than it does now?”

Meanwhile, Matt Eaton said: “Meh, the real problem is the over-development of the town and lack of travel options other than the personal car. 'Improved traffic flow' is a sticking plaster."

A spokesperson for Tav’s Cars – a private hire company based in Trowbridge – approved of the plans to introduce a new traffic light, giving a thumbs up to the proposal.

Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for Highways said: “With a growing population and the continued shift towards electric vehicles, demand on our road network is expected to rise.

"By 2041, we anticipate a 7–8% increase in vehicle numbers compared to today. Enhancing the gyratory’s capacity now is a proactive step to accommodate this future growth.

“The existing traffic signals are also due for replacement, so we’re taking this opportunity to upgrade them as part of the wider scheme.

"This will improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and enhance safety for all road users supporting the town’s long-term development and connectivity.”