Traffic travelling westbound along Quay Parade into Swansea will soon no longer be able to turn right onto The Strand and Wind Street.
Works to put these measures in place come into force next week and form part of the Boulevard scheme aimed at improving the environment for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists through a key gateway in and out of Swansea city centre.
Alternative access to the Strand from the east will be via Parc Tawe and Welcome Lane. The exit arrangements at the junctions of Wind Street and The Strand with Quay Parade will remain the same – left turn only on to the eastbound carriageway.
Works on re-opening the junction between The Strand and Welcome Lane to two-way traffic are close to completion and two-way traffic will also be introduced on Caer Street. These changes will be introduced prior to the right turn and U-turn from Quay Parade being removed.
The works form part of a £1.3million advanced works programme that will pave the way for a continental-style boulevard between the Tawe Bridges and the LC that’s also aimed at generating better links between the city centre and the waterfront.
Other works planned include improvements to the Victoria Road junction with Somerset Place and the filling-in of the Victoria Road underpass. A new street level crossing from the Maritime Quarter over to the Wind Street and Salubrious Place area will also be introduced to replace the underpass.
Cllr Chris Holley, Swansea Council Leader, said: “Removing the ability to turn right into Wind Street from Quay Parade or to take a U-turn to get to the Strand will help traffic flow by reducing the number of places where traffic can stop and block other motorists.
“Alternative access to the Strand is being made available through Park Tawe and Welcome Lane and we’ll do all we can to ensure disruption is minimal.”
Cllr Gareth Sullivan, Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Planning, said: “What we’re trying to do is generate a more pleasant experience for motorists as they drive along a key artery in and out of our city centre.
“The overall boulevard scheme will also boost cycling links and make it easier than ever for pedestrians to cross from the waterfront to the city centre shops.”
The boulevard scheme is funded by Swansea Council, an ERDF Convergence grant from the Wales European Funding Office and a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Regeneration Area (SRA) programme.
It’s one of a series of projects looking to help Swansea become a leading waterfront city under the direction of the City Centre Strategic Framework- a document that will guide the regeneration of Swansea for the next 15 to 20 years.
Other schemes will see an environmental enhancement of the Lower Oxford Street retail area and improvements to the promenade between the Civic Centre and the former observatory building on the seafront.
Have a look at this map to see how the changes will appear and what the alternative routes will be.
