The project comprises carriageway, walking and cycling improvements and will take 12 months to complete. The two phases will run concurrently for maximum efficiency.
Spanning from J11 of the M5 up to and including Arle Court Roundabout, the works for the West Cheltenham Transport Infrastructure Scheme include:
M5 J11 to Arle Court eastbound carriageway widening (towards Cheltenham)
Provision of an additional circulatory lane around the roundabout
Corresponding additional lanes to the A40 on the approaches and exits to and from the junction
New bus lane on the B4063 approach from Staverton, also improving facilities for cyclists
Bus lane modifications to improve journey times for public transport
Widening the Hatherley Lane arm to the south side of the roundabout
Park and ride entrance/exit westbound (towards Gloucester) from Arle Court Roundabout
Proposal to improve cyclist access at specific junctions, such as Fiddlers Green Lane
Divisional Director, Andrew Eilbeck, said: “The West of Cheltenham Transport Infrastructure Scheme is our second highways contract for Gloucestershire County Council and follows on from the junction improvements on the A419 at Stonehouse. The project will benefit from the considerable experience of the site management team while also incorporating several of our graduate engineers, most of them being involved at Stonehouse.
An online Q&A event for members of the public who’d like to ask us about the scheme is taking place on 12 June and we look forward to sharing more details of our plans with people then. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to making early progress.”
Questions for the Q&A should be submitted by 9am on 10 June by email to:
Traffic congestion to the west of Cheltenham is being addressed through these sustainable transport improvement measures to assist with the delivery of a Cyber Business Park. The business park proposal includes 45 hectares of employment land that will generate new high skilled jobs and facilitate delivery of the GCHQ Cyber Innovation Centre.
Cheltenham is a key driver for the economic prosperity of Gloucestershire, as well as the wider South West region.