Salisbury junction improvements

The A338 and A3094 south of Salisbury form part of the nationally designated Major Road Network (MRN), which is a middle tier of the country's busiest and most economically important local authority 'A' roads.

The Salisbury Transport Study identified key junctions where improvements would be required to address existing problems and accommodate future traffic flows.

There are delays and congestion at Harnham Gyratory and Exeter Street Roundabout, which are affecting both longer distance traffic on the MRN and traffic using the junctions for local journeys.

Traffic problems in and around Salisbury have been of concern for many years. The following key transport problems have been identified:

• the strategic role of the A338 and A3094 (MRN) will be threatened by increased congestion and delays
• increased traffic volumes, congestion, delays, accidents and severance will make Salisbury an unattractive place to live, work and visit
• active and sustainable travel modes are discouraged in favour of car travel with potential impacts on health
• congestion related shunts occur frequently at Harnham gyratory and Exeter Street roundabout

The delays, congestion, and uncertainty of journey times has a cost in economic and environmental terms. These affect businesses, buses, visitors, shoppers, and local residents. The problems can deter visitors and tourists and reduce the attractiveness of the city, with consequential economic impacts.

The delays on the major road network are particularly significant because of the importance of these routes to the national and local economy. The adverse effect on air quality, severance and the carbon implications of the existing situation are also factors.

There are safety concerns at the junctions especially for pedestrians and cyclists.

The design and assessment work undertaken in connection with the previous scheme indicated that the benefit to cost ratio for the scheme as originally envisaged as a Major Road Network (MRN) project would not meet the requirements for Department for Transport funding, without which the scheme would not be feasible.

Those proposals for the junctions were the subject of a public consultation carried out in June and July 2021.

Much of the work undertaken for that MRN project has helped inform the development of the current scheme which seeks to bring forward a deliverable and realistic enhancement given the constraints and limitations at the junctions.

New Bridge Road will be widened to provide an additional traffic lane on the approach to Harnham Gyratory, which will increase capacity at the junction and allow the traffic signal timings to be adjusted to optimise the flow of traffic.

A widened footway/cycleway will be provided on the eastern side of New Bridge Road and along Downton Road. The pedestrian and cyclist crossings of the roads at the junction will be improved to provide more direct routes.

At Exeter Street Roundabout the road markings and traffic islands will be altered to ease movements through the junction. The public consultation indicated that there was not public support for major alterations and changes to pedestrian facilities at this junction.

New Bridge Road will be widened on its eastern side to provide an additional traffic lane. This will allow the southbound approach to Harnham Gyratory to have separate lanes for right turn, straight ahead, and left turn movements. This will increase capacity and allow traffic to flow more smoothly, with traffic signal timings adjusted to balance flows on other arms at the junction.

The traffic signals system at Harnham Gyratory will be adjusted to build upon and enhance the signals infrastructure upgrade that took place recently.

The scheme will accommodate the increase in traffic from currently identified developments in the area up to 2026, and journey times through the junctions should be reduced.

It is not proposed to widen the bridge as part of the scheme because the cost would be substantial and there is limited funding available. The road and footway/cycleway widening will start south of the river bridge.

Pedestrian facilities at Harnham Gyratory will be improved with new crossings to provide more direct routes. Footways at the junction will be widened where feasible within the available land constraints.

The footway/cycleway on the eastern side of New bridge Road will be widened south of the bridge to make the route safer for both pedestrians and cyclists to use. The route will be realigned to create a safer crossing of Britford Lane.

A new footway will be provided on the south side of Downton Road from the A345 junction to the bus stop near the existing signal-controlled crossing and opposite the petrol station.

At Exeter Street Roundabout the St. Nicholas Road approach will be altered to provide a wider traffic island with dropped kerbs to help pedestrians cross the road in greater safety.

The footway/cycleway on the eastern side of New Bridge Road will be widened south of the bridge to make the route safer for both pedestrians and cyclists to use. The route will be realigned to create a safer crossing where it crosses Britford Lane.

A pedestrian/cyclist route will continue on the north side of Downton Road to connect to the existing signal-controlled crossing.

The existing bus shelter on New Bridge Road will be repositioned closer to Britford Lane where the road is widened, and a new shelter will be provided on Downton Road near the garage.

It is proposed that the infrastructure and operation of the traffic signals at Harnham Gyratory will be enhanced so that late running bus services such as the R1 will be recognised.  This would then allow a short-term traffic signals adjustment for those late services to help them make up time.

Public transport movements through the junction should benefit from the reduced delays and congestion.

Surfacing works will be undertaken where new road space is being created through widening works and where adjustments to road markings require, however, the wholesale re-surfacing of the gyratory is not currently anticipated.

The carriageway surfacing at the gyratory is currently considered to be in reasonable condition and there does not appear to be a need for wholesale surfacing works at this time.  Periodic and routine carriageway inspections will continue to be undertaken and these will help inform the need for planned future maintenance.

Yes. The scheme includes for the realignment, widening and enhancement of the shared use and crossing facilities at Harnham gyratory.

There will be a more direct and convenient crossing location just to the north of Harnham gyratory and a widened new shared use route to New Harnham Road. These facilities will help connect the shared use route along New Bridge Road with the existing provision at New Harnham Road and on to Old Blandford Road.

Any traffic orders for waiting restriction amendments, speed limit changes, and alterations in connection with the new pedestrian crossing points and their controlled zones will be the subject of consultations.

The proposed alterations to the junctions have already been the subject of extensive public consultation which has helped shape the existing proposals.

Liaison with key stakeholders, including the City Council and Area Board will continue, and it is anticipated that a public engagement event will take place when the scheme details and construction programme have been finalised.

In the meantime, the scheme website will continue to be updated as further information becomes available.

The A36 is a trunk road managed by National Highways rather than Wiltshire Council and it forms part of the strategic road network. This route is the subject of a separate strategic study which is being undertaken on north-south routes by National Highways.

The council is working with National Highways to ensure that our proposals can be co-ordinated with any improvements that they bring forward.

The delivery of a bypass would result in significant costs and would be disproportionate to growth anticipated in Salisbury in the current Core Strategy and subsequent Local Plan. The Council do however keep an open mind on this matter and do not discount the delivery of a bypass for future consideration.

As part of the previous MRN project, various options were considered such as demand management through road user charging, increased parking charges, public transport improvements, improved walking and cycling movements, but these in themselves would not meet the aims in connection with the Major Road Network and the strategic requirements.

Larger scale options such as widening Harnham Bridge, or road widening at Exeter Street have also been considered, but the cost and environmental impacts would be significant, and these are not considered to be feasible.

The assessment work has concluded that a scheme which seeks to optimise and maximise traffic capacity within the local constraints by the introduction of additional road space, where this can be achieved, best meets the requirements in terms of cost, efficiency, environmental impacts and deliverability.

The introduction of a signal-controlled T junction and other arrangements at Exeter Street junction were investigated, but these were not popular and provided only limited benefits, especially when considering the associated costs.

At Harnham Gyratory a staggered T junction layout was investigated, but there was insufficient width to accommodate the traffic lanes required for turning movements, and there would still be a need to accommodate U-turn movements at the junctions because of restricted turn movements elsewhere.

The junctions have limited space available and are very restricted, either by physical features, historic boundary walls, environmentally sensitive areas, or residential properties. There is insufficient room to accommodate such structures without having serious adverse environmental impacts and they would be very expensive.

Yes. In response to the public consultation, various comments, thoughts and suggestions for alternative approaches were received and these have been considered and have influenced the development of the current proposals.

The design is being finalised and further information is required, especially in connection with public utilities diversions, but the indications are that it could cost in the region of £2.5 million.

Developer's contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy will fund the scheme.

No. Highway authorities are permitted to carry out improvements of this type without requiring planning permission, but this may depend on the final scheme details.

No. It is not expected that a public inquiry will be required for a scheme of this type.

There are likely to be some waiting restriction amendments, potentially some speed limit changes and alterations in connection with the new pedestrian crossing points and their controlled zones. These will be subject of consultations as part of the legal process in due course.

During construction temporary traffic regulation orders may be required for safety reasons, including for temporary speed limits.

New purpose-built roads and associated infrastructure generally do not have the maintenance problems associated with older roads that have evolved over the years and were never envisaged to carry the volumes and types of traffic now using them.

Maintenance costs are considered in assessing the scheme but are not usually a major consideration compared to the other factors.

An assessment has been undertaken and no major environmental concerns have been identified in connection with the current scheme proposals. Further assessments will be undertaken as the design is progressed and before work starts.

The reduced traffic congestion, better facilities for active travel, and improved road safety would be expected to reduce energy consumption as a result of the scheme.

The traffic signals will be extra low voltage and LED to minimise energy consumption and the street lighting will be low energy LED units.

There will be some scope for the use of energy efficient plant, materials, and processes to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction stage of the scheme. Consideration of carbon reduction requirements will be reviewed as guidance is updated and the scheme progresses.

The potential effects of climate change is being considered in the design of the scheme. This includes making allowances for increased rainfall and flood risk, as well as the use of more durable materials to provide resilience in connection with increased temperatures and other impacts of climate change.

The current scheme has been designed and assessed on the basis of known development and the current Core strategy.

The emerging Local Plan is expected to result in proposals for additional housing in the county in order to meet Government targets. The nature and location of this development will be determined by the Local Plan process, which will use a similar traffic model to the scheme to ensure consistency.

Future development proposed through the Local Plan will be subject to their own series of tests through the planning process and will be required to provide their own necessary mitigation.

The street lighting system throughout the scheme will be reviewed and altered to ensure it meets current standards, especially with regard to reducing light spill and improving energy efficiency.

It is anticipated that several trees along New Bridge Road will need to be repositioned, and additional trees may be planted. These changes are being developed in consultation with Salisbury City Council.

The very constrained site is in a built-up area which limits the scope for extensive landscaping.

The scheme design is taking into account potential flood risk, but it is not expected to require extensive changes to the existing drainage systems.

Yes. The introduction of new road space and the wide pedestrian and cycle facilities along New Bridge Road will require land beyond the current highway boundary. That land is currently owned by the city council and discussions are taking place.

It is anticipated that construction will start in 2024.  However, the progress of other major schemes in and around the Salisbury area will need to be carefully considered.

The works will be co-ordinated with other improvement and maintenance work being carried out on the local road network as it is appreciated that the junctions are often busy and congested.

Yes. Between Thursday 17 June and Sunday 18 July 2021, we undertook a consultation exercise regarding potential improvements at the junctions. We received 290 responses to the online questionnaire and 67 emails. A total of 1,214 comments on various aspects of the scheme were received. Read the full report  Proposed Salisbury Junction Improvements - Public Consultation Report (PDF) [670KB] (opens new window) .

To find out more about that scheme, including maps and more information, download the  Salisbury junction improvements consultation booklet (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window) . 

To read the questions and answers from the two online engagement sessions, see  Salisbury junctions scheme webinar questions and responses (PDF) [161KB] (opens new window) .