The A419 corridor is located to the south of the county, and links Stroud to the M5 (Junction 13). The A419 is a route of local importance connecting the Stroud Valley with the wider strategic road network, in particular to the M5 which provides connections for freight and other traffic to Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham and the remainder of the UK. The land adjacent to the scheme and the immediate surroundings consists of open farm land, residential developments and business parks.
This new proposal seeks to improve the A419 corridor which links Stroud and Stonehouse to the M5 junction 13 and also to ‘future proof’ the junction, given the strategic importance of the link and current traffic flows. The overall aim of the proposed scheme is to reduce queues and delays on the A419 improving vehicle journey times and addressing journey reliability problems. The scheme will therefore support planned growth (including on land near to the corridor), improve access to jobs, and support the efficient movement of goods.
The key objectives of this project are:-
- To reduce peak period congestion on the A419;
- To support strategic housing and employment growth sites at Stonehouse and Stroud;
- To increase capacity, optimise the efficiency of the corridor and reduce delays for general traffic, HGV’s and buses, whilst also improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists;
- To support planned growth (including on land near to the corridor), improve access to jobs and support the efficient movement of goods.
Existing access to businesses will remain, and the scheme will maintain or improve all existing footpaths and cycle paths. Additional cycle infrastructure will be added at Chipmans Platt and Horsetrough roundabouts in addition to a new shared use off carriageway cycle facility between Horsetrough roundabout and Downton road signals. Improvements to the National Cycle Route running through this area will be considered during detailed design.
During the design phase, consideration will be given to accesses in the area between Horsetrough Roundabout and Downton Road signals where the westbound carriageway is increasing from one to two lanes. The scheme is expected to improve access and reduce severance for pedestrians as an indirect consequence of the corridor improvement.
A full review, together with assessing the impact through traffic modelling will be undertaken to establish the most appropriate scheme for the corridor, and the preferred arrangement will be taken forward to detailed design and construction.
The £4.36 million funding for the work is from the Gloucestershire Growth Deal and was included in the £62.5 million package allocated in July 2014.
Following approval by the Gfirst LEP Board of the full business case for the Stonehouse A419 Improvements, the council will continue to develop the detailed design for the scheme throughout 2018, with the start of construction proposed for early 2019.
