Transporting Bedford is a £24 million project to tackle congestion hotspots in Bedford.
It is funded by both Bedford Borough Council, The DfT National Productivity Fund and £15.5 million from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, through the Local Growth Fund and represents the largest ever investment in Bedford’s roads.
The project runs between 2018 and 2022 with the aim of tackling those key congestion hotspots which by their nature are well-used routes through our town.
We have worked to minimise disruption while delivering this project and the huge benefits it will bring to ease congestion, and make our roads more reliable for our long-term future.
The project is focusing on three key themes:
- Town Centre Public Realm
- Reducing congestion (pinch-point schemes) – including works at Manton Lane, Britannia Road, Ampthill Road and Bromham Road
- Urban traffic management control and technology measures
Update October 2021
Download a copy of the latest scheme information leaflet here (PDF).
Manton Lane improvements (theme 2)
Work on the first phase of works at Manton Lane has been completed. The new footbridge is now open, and work to divert underground services and construct a new retaining wall along Clapham Road has been finished. Work on the final phase of construction which includes widening Clapham Road and installing traffic lights at the Great Ouse Way and Shakespeare Road roundabouts is underway and will be completed in by Spring 2022.
Email highways.helpdesk@bedford.gov.uk if you have urgent issues relating to the road works.
Works completed so far include the widening of Clapham Road between the Paula Radcliffe Way roundabout and Manton Lane, including installation of the new kerb line, footway and drainage system.
Work is now underway to build a dedicated left-turn lane from Clapham Road into Manton Lane. Widening of the north eastern corner of the Manton Lane roundabout adjacent to the Bedford Modern School playing fields will be completed shortly.
Once those works are finished we will start work on the central reservation of the dual carriageway section between Paula Radcliffe Way and Manton Lane. This phase will introduce a permanent right turning lane into Sainsbury’s which will avoid the need to make a U-turn at the Manton Lane roundabout.
The majority of the roadworks will continue to be carried out using lane closures. To ensure that the working spaces are maximised and the safety of the workforce is not compromised this means that traffic is also restricted on the Paula Radcliffe Way roundabout, which unfortunately means that there will continue to be congestion on the approaches to the roadworks. We are working with the contractor to ensure that the works are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Britannia Road improvements (theme 2)
Work to improve Britannia Road has now been completed.
Ampthill Road improvements (theme 2)
Work on Ampthill Road to reduce congestion and improve road safety began on 24 May 2021.
During these works, the road will be widened creating a second northbound lane between Elstow Road and Britannia Road. This lane will be for buses and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, enabling people to continue benefiting from the bus lane and encouraging the use of electric vehicles as they become more common. As part of this project, air quality monitoring will also be installed.
Another major element is making improvements to traffic signals along the route, with space provided for traffic to turn right, helping traffic flow and reduce congestion. New electronic message signs will be installed to provide journey information to drivers and average speed cameras will also be installed, to help make this busy road safer.
To minimise disruption as much as possible, we are keeping the road open as much as possible during the works with lane closures and temporary signals in place to keep traffic moving.
To date the following have been completed:
- Traffic signal ducts have been laid across both sides of the Ampthill Road railway bridge.
- Extensive road widening works have been completed between Sexton Avenue and Evans Halshaw.
- Changes to the pedestrian crossing near Sexton Avenue have been completed.
- Traffic signals and associated apparatus have been installed for the pedestrian crossing at Technology House.
- Traffic signal communications ducts have been installed between Morrison’s and the B530 to improve communications between the sets of traffic lights.
- Various sections of footway and cycleway have been resurfaced between Morrison’s and Elstow Road.
- New street lights and sign posts have been installed between Britannia Road and Elstow Road.
Work has now started on the road widening works between Victoria Road and Britannia Road and this is expected to continue until December. During this phase the majority of the roadworks will be carried out with lane closures to keep the traffic moving though there will be short periods where temporary traffic lights may be needed during off-peak hours.
Over the coming weeks we will be carrying out the first stage of carriageway resurfacing. This work is being done overnight
With the possible impact of winter weather during the later stages of this project, these works are expected to be completed early next year.
High Street and Silver Street Square
Work on High Street continues to progress well. See further updates on the works here.
Contact the Project Team
Email highways.helpdesk@bedford.gov.uk if you have any general queries about the project.
