Traffic improvements to Swansea’s River Tawe bridges are set to begin.
Contractual works scheduled to commence on the week starting Monday May 16 will help deal with the predicted growth in traffic during the next decade and will help relieve congestion.
The scheme will introduce a clockwise movement of traffic around the bridges with a two-way traffic flow maintained on the southern bridge closest to Sainsbury’s.
The southern bridge will also be strengthened during the works, and crossings will be improved for pedestrians and cyclists.
A detailed traffic management plan will be put in place and every effort will be made to minimise disruption.
The scheme will be finished by December this year and residents and businesses will be regularly updated with progress. For further information and diagrams showing the new traffic flows go to http://www.swanseacitycentre.com/index.cfm?articleid=42903
The Boulevard
The river bridge improvement works are part of the multi-million pound Boulevard scheme between the river bridges and the LC.
The Boulevard scheme will transform a key gateway in and out of Swansea and make it easier for shoppers and visitors to walk or cycle from the city centre shops to the seafront by creating better links between the two areas.
A tree-lined central area will also be introduced along the route as well as wider pavements and new crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists.
Works this summer will include the filling-in of the Victoria Road underpass. A new street-level crossing has already been introduced over Victoria Road from the Wind Street area to the Maritime Quarter and a new crossing over Oystermouth Road close to its junction with West Way will be complete by the end of the summer.
The Boulevard is one of a series of regeneration schemes now ongoing in Swansea city centre to improve the area for residents, traders and visitors. Other schemes include a project to improve the appearance of the Lower Oxford Street retail area and a makeover of the seafront promenade between the Civic Centre and the former observatory building.
This series of projects is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Wales European Funding Office and Swansea Council. The projects will help Swansea become an iconic European waterfront city under the direction of the City Centre Strategic Framework – a document that will guide the regeneration of Swansea over the next 15 to 20 years.
Funding for these schemes is ring-fenced and this means it can only be spent on these schemes.
The Lower Oxford Street retail project
The Lower Oxford Street retail project will see the area improved for traders and shoppers.
The first phase of the scheme is now complete. It saw a turning lane introduced for buses on Dilwyn Street which means service buses will soon be removed from Singleton Street, Plymouth Street and the section of Oxford Street between Plymouth Street and Dilwyn Street. This will help protect the area from damage and will make the environment more pleasant for traders and shoppers.
The second phase of the scheme will see new street surfacing, street furniture and street lighting introduced on Lower Oxford Street, Singleton Street and Plymouth Street. Work is expected to start in June and will be complete in November.
More information is available on the project website at www.swansea.gov.uk/pictonlanesinitiative
Upgrading the promenade
The promenade between the Civic Centre and the former observatory building on the seafront is being improved for cyclists and pedestrians with the introduction of new lighting, hand rails and street furniture. Footpath and cycleway surfacing will also be repaired where necessary.
The scheme will be complete this summer and follows on from similar improvements completed on the footpath between the Tawe river bridges and Swansea Yacht Club.
What’s already been achieved?
A number of major projects to improve Swansea city centre have already been completed.
They include:
- A multi-million pound investment by the Welsh Assembly Government and Swansea Council to improve the look of the pedestrianised area in the city centre. This included new street surfacing, benches, bins, street furniture and street trees.
- The opening of the new Swansea City Bus Station.
- The opening of a new, three-storey retail complex on Princess Way.
Have a look at www.swanseacitycentre.com for more information.
The bigger picture
The regeneration of Swansea is being guided by the City Centre Strategic Framework – a policy adopted by Swansea Council that sets out ambitions for Swansea over the next 15 to 20 years.
Have a look at http://www.swanseacitycentre.com/index.cfm?articleid=21725 for more information on the Framework.
