Wiltshire Council will begin a major refurbishment of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings on the A4 at Curzon Street and Market Hill at the end of March.
The works are due to start on Monday 30th March and are expected to last around 12 weeks.
The scheme covers the signalised pedestrian crossing on the A4 near Market Hill and the traffic signal junction on the A4 at Curzon Street, beside Calne Town Hall. Both installations have been identified as reaching the end of their design life and are being prioritised for upgrade.
The existing traffic signal equipment at both locations will be replaced with updated technology. Pedestrian crossing areas will be improved to meet current standards.
Tree pruning and soft landscaping will also take place around the crossroads to help prevent paving slabs from lifting and becoming hazardous.
The northbound bus stop outside the Town Hall will be relocated further north to the layby outside the Landsdowne Hotel to provide a safer stopping point for buses and passengers. A short stay loading bay will also be introduced in the layby outside the Town Hall to support local businesses.
For the full duration of the works, temporary multi-way traffic lights will be in place covering both sites. Four temporary pedestrian crossings will also operate to maintain safe crossing points.
Some parking will be suspended, including the taxi rank clearway and disabled bays outside Calne Library.
While the works are ongoing:
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Buses 33 and 55 to Chippenham and X76 to Bath will stop further up Curzon Street at the shelter near the junction with Quarr Barton.
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Buses to Devizes and Swindon will stop opposite this shelter, with a small number of parking bays suspended to accommodate them.
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Additional temporary bus stops will be provided near Calne Heritage Centre at the southern end of New Road for services 33, X76 and 43 to and from Marlborough.
There will be no changes to other town centre bus stops used by these services.
Wiltshire Council says the works will cause disruption but are intended to improve safety and reliability in the long term. Updates will be shared as the project progresses.
Cllr Bobby Seymour contacted Calne News to share his concerns: "It is unacceptable that these works will occur at the same time as the bypass roadworks are being carried out.
"This risks causing serious disruption in Calne. Wiltshire Council must take a far more strategic approach to managing roadworks, particularly after cutting the Highways budget by £4 million."
Cllr Sam Pearce-Kearney told us: "The upcoming light upgrade is a significant step forward for Calne. By linking the two sets of lights in town, we expect to see a much smoother flow of traffic through the town. It is great to see continued investment in our local infrastructure. I’m currently in talks with officers to ensure we minimise the impact on residents, especially with the ongoing works at Beversbrook Road, we want to get this right without doubling the disruption."
A spokesperson for Calne Labour Party added: "Wiltshire Council are planning 12 weeks of works on the A4 to upgrade traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. But when are they going to permanently reopen the High Street to traffic?
"The temporary red and white barriers have been in place now for 14 months - how much longer do Wiltshire Council intend to leave them in our High Street?
"For every new house built in the town Wiltshire gets 75% of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
"Calne Labour says more of this money to be spent locally on the town’s infrastructure. We call on Wiltshire Council to make permanent the reopening of our High Street. "
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