Works now complete on Britannia Road in Bedford after months of misery

Works on Britannia Road are now complete, after months of misery at the traffic hotspot.

Britannia Road links two major roads in Bedford; Ampthill Road and Kempston Road, past Bedford Hospital South Wing - and has always been notorious for congestion.

Expect to see a major change to the road layout, widening of the road to create more space for traffic to flow, a new traffic light junction at King’s Place, and upgraded traffic lights along the length of the road to improve traffic flow.

There are also improvements to the layout of the main hospital car park and existing drop-off areas.

Cllr Charles Royden, portfolio holder for transport and highways, said: “I am delighted that this next phase of the Transporting Bedford project is now complete and this road is completely reopen to the public.

“This scheme is one element of this wider project, and will link in with works on Ampthill Road expected to start later this year, delivering improvements along this whole corridor coming into Bedford from the south.

“The completion of the Britannia Road works was unfortunately delayed, not least due to the coronavirus outbreak, and our thanks go to business, residents and commuters for their patience during these works.

“As more and more of the Transporting Bedford project comes to fruition, I hope that people will really start to see and feel the improvements, with changes to the roads, improvements to traffic signals and more helping to ease congestion and make our roads safer.”

Transporting Bedford is an £18million project to tackle congestion hotspots in Bedford, funded by both Bedford Borough Council and £15.5million funding from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), through the Local Growth Fund and represents the largest ever investment in Bedford’s roads.