HE0914 A350 Chippenham Duelling Scheme April 2023

The A350 is one of the most important routes in Wiltshire. It is a primary north-south route with regional significance connecting the south coast with the M4 and onwards to Bristol and the Midlands. In Wiltshire it passes around the principal settlements of Chippenham and Trowbridge via the town of Melksham and on to Westbury and Warminster. It has been a longstanding priority to improve north-south connectivity along the A350, and Wiltshire Council has been progressively bringing forward the dualling of the A350 Chippenham bypass. Over recent years three major capital schemes (Phases 1, 2 and 3) have been brought forward to improve capacity and safety on the route, largely funded through successful Department for Transport (DfT) and/or Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) funding bids. Most recently, an Outline Business Case (OBC) bid was made to DfT for funding to bring forward a scheme to complete the dualling of the A350 bypass at Chippenham. In the spending review in October 2021 the government announced that it would allocate funds for a scheme to dual the remaining single carriageway sections of the A350 route round Chippenham. The project was also included within the list of forthcoming infrastructure projects as part of The Growth Plan 2022 published in September 2022. Wiltshire Council and its consultants Atkins are now pressing forward to complete the design of the remaining Phases 4 and 5 of the scheme, and preparing the Full Business Case (FBC). Subject to the FBC being approved by the DfT, it is anticipated that construction works will be undertaken during 2024 and 2025.