The Government’s commitment to “carefully examine” options to end the misery on a vital section of the A417 north of Swindon has been welcomed by the Initiative in Swindon & Wiltshire.
But it warned that any solution to the problem was still at least six years away and vowed to fight hard to ensure the Government stuck by its word. 
The pledge to bow to pressure and look at ending the A417 nightmare for drivers was included in the £15bn package of road improvements announced by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin earlier this week.
He said there would be careful examination of the ‘missing link’ at the Air Balloon roundabout to “develop a solution that can match both the economic importance of the route to the economy and the sensitive environmental conditions”.
The trunk road, which links the M4 at Swindon with the M5 at Gloucester, is a vital route for Swindon firms doing business in Gloucestershire, the Midlands and North West.
Most of the heavily-used road has been improved and upgraded to dual carriageway in a series of major works over the past two decades. But a 5km stretch remains as single carriageway, causing major bottlenecks at peak periods.
This section of road has the worst average vehicle delay of all strategic routes in the South West and has become a source of misery for many Swindon firms and their staff.
Ian Larrard, director of the Initiative in Swindon & Wiltshire, part of Business West, said Mr McLoughlin’s announcement, which also included the highly-publicised tunnel on the A303 at Stonehendge, was a reason for celebration for Swindon businesses.
“A road investment strategy that sets out how the network will be upgraded over the long term will help businesses plan for the future and provide them with greater confidence in the Government’s commitment to improving the infrastructure in our region after years of uncertainty,” he said.
“The plans detail a transformation of the A303 into a new strategic corridor to the South West, including a new 1.8-mile dual-carriageway tunnel on the A303 under Stonehenge.
“We also finally see action on the A417 ‘missing link’ which our local firms have identified for years as a burdensome link between the M4 near Swindon to the M5 near Gloucester, restricting day-to-day function. We see the funding on the table to find a solution. However, improvements to the A417 won’t happen for at least six years and there is still a long way to go if we are to see money freed and the diggers on the ground and now we must push for a workable and prompt solution.
“The plans transform some of Swindon and Wiltshire’s most important strategic routes, boosting local business prospects, and it is important that all parties support the schemes identified and commit to delivering them as soon as possible.”
In total the schemes across the South West are worth around £2bn, creating an estimated 1,300 construction jobs, according to the Department for Transport. The schemes include a new junction on the M49 near Bristol to support the Enterprise Area at Avonmouth and Severnside and enhancements along the M5 to unlock further development sites at Hinkley Point.
