Check before you travel this summer

15 Jul 2024, 3:32 p.m.

Buckinghamshire Council is advising motorists to check their journeys before they travel on Buckinghamshire’s roads this summer, with a number of planned roadworks scheduled for the coming weeks and months particularly around the Aylesbury and High Wycombe areas.

The council is managing a far greater number of requests for roadworks in general, with utilities firms fixing and improving their networks and broadband firms installing more new high speed cables. With the added impact of HS2 and East West Rail works and the council’s own programme of investment in Buckinghamshire’s roads, it means that there is no ‘quiet time’ to schedule roadworks.

The council plays a role in managing planned roadworks through its ‘Streetworks’ team, which issues permits when a request to carry out works on the roads and pavements comes in. The council always tries to schedule the most disruptive works outside of busy periods and has traditionally used the summer months to do this. However, such is the increase in planned roadworks taking place in Buckinghamshire this year, that even the summer months will be a busy time on the county’s roads. It is also becoming more challenging to lessen the impact in certain areas where multiple works are scheduled at the same time.

The council is therefore advising motorists to be aware of the higher number of works across the highways network this summer – and beyond. The council has increased the number of people in its Streetworks team and they’ll be carrying out regular site inspections to ensure planned works are taking place within the agreed permit arrangements.

Some particularly significant works that are expected to cause disruption in the coming weeks and months in Aylesbury and the surrounding areas are:

A418 Aylesbury to Stone - HS2 works with weekend closures starting during July and a full two week closure 16th August to 2nd September
A418 at Bierton - Ongoing Thames Water improvement works until 31 July with a second tranche of long-term works until November.
A41 Aylesbury to Aston Clinton – down to a single lane during July for pavement works at the Holiday Inn junction.
A41 Aylesbury to Aston Clinton – new traffic calming measures being put in place, traffic will be signal controlled 7am – 7pm 2nd April to 20th August.
B4443 Aylesbury towards Stoke Mandeville – nighttime road closures for Aylesbury ring road project between 8-12 August and 15-19 August.
Weedon Road, Aylesbury – Thames Water mains replacement works – temp lights between 8am – 6pm from 22 July until 25 October.

Significant works coming up in the High Wycombe area include:

A40 High Street, West Wycombe Two-way signals 7am – 7pm 8 July – 2 September to carry out safety and other works to buildings.
A404 Amersham Road towards Holmer Green – multi-way signals 7am – 7pm, 4 August – 21 September to lay electricity cables.
Penn Road, Hazelmere Affinity Water sinkhole repairs, lights in place - ongoing
Rose Avenue, Hazelmere Cadent Gas upgrade works – multi-way signals 29 July – 28 August
Cock Lane, Tylers Green, Cadent Gas Major works Full road closure 29 July – 30 August
Coates Lane, High Wycombe, Cadent Gas upgrade works, multi-way signals already in place 24 June – 12 August
Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe, SSE upgrade works, multiway signals, 7am – 7pm, 19 August – 12 September
New Road/Cressex Road, High Wycombe City Fibre cable installation, temporary signals, 7am – 7pm (9:30am – 3:30pm term time), start July – end September.

Steven Broadbent is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport. He said:

“The reality is that we have seen a massive increase in the number of roadworks on the county’s network. This will be no surprise to motorists and other travellers who are already experiencing higher levels of disruption as a result. The truth is, utilities firms are dealing with aging pipes and networks that needs repairs and upgrades. At the same time, demand for higher broadband speeds mean lots of new cable is being laid. The council itself is also investing £110 million in the county’s roads, in a major programme of repairs and improvements works.

All of this means more works on the network, and that’s in addition to the major disruption being caused by HS2 and East West Rail – we do not give approval for HS2 works as they have powers to carry out works as needed.

We work hard to co-ordinate permits in a way which minimises disruption and we do refuse to issue a permit if the works are too impactful or too many are requested in a similar area – we refused 10% of permit applications last year. The reality is however, that the level of demand is making co-ordinating competing works more and more challenging. Emergency works, which can’t be planned for, add another challenge into the mix.

These companies have a legal right to access their assets, so with the high level of planned works in the coming months, we’re telling people, if you need to travel on the local road network and to be somewhere by a certain time – please check before you travel, even if it’s a routine journey to school or work.”

“We are also doing what we can within our control to relieve the pressure on the road network; we are bringing forward the Aylesbury ring road project and we’re investing in new cycling and walking routes. And of course, we are constantly holding HS2 and East West Rail to account to better engage with our residents on their works, to give people plenty of notice and to pay for road repairs as a result of their construction traffic.”