'Patience being tested' by roadwork delays

Drivers face another month of disruption after a major project has been delayed.

Works to improve County Way as part of the Longfield Gyratory project in Trowbridge were due to be completed by April. But Wiltshire Council has now confirmed the end date has been pushed back to May.

It comes after an underground high-voltage electricity cable was found "not at a suitable depth" for the project to continue safely.

Councillor Martin Smith, from Wiltshire Council, said he was "really sorry" and he understood "people's patience is being tested" due to longer journeys.

The Longfield Gyratory project includes work to upgrade outdated traffic lights, improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.

The council is working with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and its contractors to move the high-voltage cable.

Smith added: "Our teams cannot move this high-voltage cable for safety reasons - it must be moved by SSEN and its contractors, and we are reliant on them and their teams to complete this work."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for SSEN said the company sent a team out over the Bank Holiday weekend to work on a new trench.

The spokesperson added: "As soon as this is done, we will begin to lay the new cable. We envisage handing the site back to the council on 10 May."

Once the high-voltage cable is removed, the council will finish the remaining lighting, signal and surfacing works on County Way and Longfield Road.

At the same time, work will begin to widen the carriageway and install a new signal‑controlled junction on Bythesea Road.

This phase will see evening closures of the road from 18 May, the council says.

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