Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western bypass resurfacing schedule

Heavy equipment moves on tothe Stoke Hammond andLinslade Western bypass next Monday (13 August) ready to start on an eight-week resurfacing programme.

Three road surfacing teams will work on the £4.5 million project, which involves closing each carriageway completely for around four weeks – starting with the Milton Keynes-bound lanes on Monday – to allow resurfacing of the road and roundabouts to be done more quickly. The Wing-bound carriageway will remain open.

The work involves removing the entire surface course, which has a number ofdefects, and, in areas where investigations have found structural weakness, replacing some of the lower layers.

During the first week both carriageways will close overnight – from 7pm on Wednesday 15 August to 6am on Thursday 16 August and provisionally from 7pm on Thursday 16 August to 6am on Friday 17 August – to allow the Chelmscote roundabout to be prepared for a new surface thatweekend (17-20 August).

Mark Shaw, Buckinghamshire County Council Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member, said the decision to opt for alternate full carriageway closures gave contractors a clear run along the five-mile length, to get the job done more quickly, to better control costs, and to maintain road safety for motorists.

“I appreciate that road works aren’t possible without some degree of inconvenience, and I apologise in advance for this,” said Mark. “I believe this comparatively short burst of pain will be worth it for the many years of ‘gain’.”

Diversions will be clearly signposted.

Traffic from the Aylesbury direction on the A418 will divert from the A4146 roundabout at the Wing end, via the Leighton Buzzard bypass, A505, and A5 to meet the A4146 again at Kelly’s Kitchen roundabout just outside Bletchley.

Traffic from the Milton Keynes and Bletchley directions will divert on to the A5 at Kelly’s Kitchen roundabout, via the A505 and Leighton Buzzard bypass to join the A418 at the roundabout near Wing.

Updated information will be published on the road improvements page of the County Council website: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/improvement-schemes-and-projects/