There’s good news for anyone who has ever queued on Plough Hill to get to the M4 or Swindon and beyond… Marlborough’s motorway junction is getting a multi-million pound upgrade.
The project was given the green light by the Government yesterday (Thursday). It will see the southbound carriageway of the A419 widened to include a sliproad for traffic heading along the M4 towards London. That should relieve traffic not just at the junction, but back as far as the Commonhead (hospital) roundabout, used by drivers to get to and from Aldbourne.
Meanwhile, the A346 approach at Plough Hill, Chiseldon – heading north from the Marlborough direction to the M4 and Swindon – will also be widened.
The works on Junction 15 are planned to take place between 2018 and 2020 and will not start until the improvements to Junction 16 (Swindon West) have been substantially completed to minimise the disruption experienced by road users.
“The improvements will increase the capacity of the junction, reducing congestion and improving safety for drivers,” trumpeted Swindon Borough Council at the announcement of the news.
The scheme will be jointly funded by £5m from Highways England’s Growth and Housing Fund, and by house-builders Persimmon and Redrow, under Swindon’s Infrastructure Before Houses plan.
Tens of thousands of new houses are expected to be built in Swindon over the next 20 years, so enjoy the short-term benefits – by 2036 we could be back to where we are now… queueing to get down Plough Hill.
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