An update has been issued on a major bypass project in Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Council said it has been notified by the Department for Transport that a verdict on an A350 bypass around Melksham would be forthcoming.
A consultation on the council’s preferred route around Bowerhill and to the east of town was held in 2021, though steep rises in projected costs emerged.
The government was waiting for the publication of the key M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Study’s publication (in early 2025) before coming to a decision, now expected.
The council also commented on the recent publication of the DfT’s Road Investment Strategy 3 2026-2031, published at the end of March, and referring to proposals made last year as part of a plan to improve connectivity between the Dorset coast and the M4.
The document states its support for a proposal recommended in the landmark M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Study – published by National Highways last year – for “trunking” the A350 and “detrunking” sections of the A36.
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That process of "trunking" the north-south route might mean that National Highways take control of the route through Melksham and Westbury out of the hands of Wiltshire Council.
The council explained this could mean greater national investment in the route, whose capacity could be expanded, adding that this could mean both Westbury and Melksham could get bypasses.
Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for Highways, said: “The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) for 2026–2031 does not make any specific reference to potential bypasses for Melksham or Westbury.
“However, the document does endorse the findings of National Highways’ M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Study, which recommends ‘detrunking’ sections of the A36 and ‘trunking’ the A350 instead.
“DfT and National Highways are now working to develop this recommendation, which would be used to inform future investment decisions, including any potential new bypasses.
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“As both Melksham and Westbury lie on the A350, this could mean that, in future, the road through these towns is managed by National Highways as a trunk road rather than by Wiltshire Council as a local authority road, as it is now.
"If this happens, there would be an expectation of greater national investment to improve the route and increase capacity, which could include bypasses for both towns.
“In addition, we have been contacted separately by the Department for Transport, who have confirmed that a decision on the A350 Melksham Bypass specifically is expected to be announced in early summer.
“We will continue to work with DfT and National Highways to make the case for bypasses at Melksham and Westbury and to secure continued investment in Wiltshire’s road network.”
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