Paula Radcliffe Way in Bedford set to fully reopen on Friday after months of roadworks and delays

Months of delays are set to finally finish as roadworks on Bedford’s Paula Radcliffe Way are finally completed.

The road – which closed in July for resurfacing work – is due to fully reopen on Friday (December 15), more than a month after the roadworks were expected to end.

The extensive project, which involved crucial repairs to the road surface, drainage system, road barriers, and bridges along Paula Radcliffe Way, was due to be completed at the end of October – but had to be extended after an inspection of the crash barriers revealed they would all need to be replaced instead of repaired.

Bedford Borough Council has said it is sorry for the inconvenience caused by the delay and says it will be reviewing the project to identify ‘learning opportunities’ for future work.

Jim Weir, portfolio holder for environment, highways, and transport, said: "The completion of these essential works marks a significant milestone for our community. We understand that the construction period has caused inconvenience for many, and we sincerely appreciate the patience and cooperation of residents, businesses, and road users throughout this process."

Management of the works was branded ‘sloppy’ by a frustrated councillor at a meeting in November, while shoppers at Sainsbury’s faced trouble leaving the site due to backed-up traffic on the road.

You can find out more about the council’s maintenance programme at its website including planned works to roads, pavements and street lights.