Roadworks to widen Clapham Road in Bedford begin next week - and will be completed in spring 2022

Roadworks begin from Monday (June 28) to help ease congestion on the Clapham Road roundabout.

Clapham Road between Paula Radcliffe Way and Manton Lane will be widened to create an extra lane for traffic, and a specific left turn filter lane to allow traffic heading up Manton Lane to bypass the roundabout.

Improvements will also be made to allow people coming south on Clapham Road to turn right into Sainsbury’s, which will also help to ease traffic on the roundabout.

The Clapham Road roundabout itself will be widened to create more space for traffic to flow, and traffic signals will be installed to help ease congestion during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

Improved pedestrian and cyclist crossings will also be installed.

The works are expected to complete in spring 2022. To minimise disruption, the majority of these works will be carried out using temporary lane closures.

Resurfacing works will also be carried out as part of this project, early next year, which will require phased overnight closures of the route.

Works are set to start on Monday 28 June at the ‘Northern Gateway’ of Bedford, to ease congestion in this busy area and make the roads safer for all road users, as part of the Transporting Bedford project.

These works all follow on from other Transporting Bedford improvements in the area, which included the widening of Manton Lane.

Cllr Charles Royden, portfolio holder for transport and highways, said: “By using lane closures, and overnight closures only to carry out resurfacing works, we are doing our utmost to minimise the disruption caused by these major improvements to this popular and often congested route in and of out Bedford.”