NATIONAL HIGHWAYS is advising drivers to plan their journeys ahead of weekend and overnight closures on the A419 between Swindon and South Marston.

As part of the government-owned company’s long-term maintenance of the road, essential repair work is needed to the north and south bridges of the White Hart junction.

This will involve joint replacement and waterproofing, along with concrete repair work.

There will be a weeknight closure from Wednesday, October 2 at 8pm to Thursday, October 3 at 6am, plus a full weekend closure from Friday, October 4 at 8pm to Monday, October 7 at 6am.

In addition, there will be a weeknight closure from Thursday, October 10 at 8pm to Friday, October 11 at 6am, as well as a full weekend closure from Friday, October 11 at 8pm to Monday, October 14 at 6am.

There will also be a weeknight closure from Monday, October 14 at 8pm to Thursday, October 17 at 6am.

The work early next month will be carried out under a mixture of overnight and full weekend closures of the A419 for the safety of road users and workers on site.

The A4312 and A420 will be unaffected during the scheme.

The refurbishment work follows a number of general maintenance closures along the A417 and A419 this month.

It will include excavation of the bridge joints, concrete repairs and waterproofing, upgrading the concrete barrier and installing new bridge joints.

During the closures, drivers should follow the below diversions:

  • Northbound: Traffic to exit the A419 at the A420 junction and head towards the A420 roundabout, where it will be instructed to take the second exit to continue north on the A420 Merlin Way allowing traffic to rejoin the A419
  • Southbound: Traffic to exit the A419 at the A420 junction and head towards the A420 roundabout, where it will be instructed to take the fourth exit to continue south on the A420 allowing traffic to rejoin the A419

Advanced signage will be in place to warn of the closures and to allow the travelling public to plan their journeys.

National Highways is working with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council, all diversion routes have been agreed to keep disruption as minimal as possible and all diversions will be clearly signed during the closures.

Sarah Lewis, service delivery manager for National Highways, said: “Safety is our number one priority, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but need to carry out these essential repairs to ensure the long-term maintenance and safety of the roundabout and bridges.

“We understand that road closures are frustrating, but by fully closing the road, we can get this essential repair work done safely and quickly, causing less disruption overall.

“Once it’s all complete, these improvements will benefit road-users and the local community for many years to come.”

While the work is underway, drivers can get travel information on local radio, the @HighwaysSWEST X (formerly Twitter) feed, by phoning the National Highways information line on 0300 123 5000 or by going to trafficengland.com