A BRIDGE over the A419 dual carriageway was planned, now it has been delayed.

But at least one councillor from north east Swindon reckons the Great Stall Bridge should be built sooner rather than later.

He says it is needed to alleviate congestion from the major New Eastern Villages developments once they are built.

The borough council, which is responsible for the roads, says it is going to improve other junctions first, but will build the bridge when its needed.

Coun Barrie Jennings, a member of Stratton St Margaret Parish Council said: “About 5,500 of the houses to be built in the new developments will be south of the Oxford Road. They will create thousands more additional vehicle movements every day.

“If the bridge is built then that traffic can disperse a bit. Some of it can go down to Covingham Drive and then across to Dorcan and to Greenbridge Roundabout.

“If it isn’t then all of that traffic will have to head to the White Hart Roundabout. That’s not adequate for the traffic now at peak times. Then it will all be heading down Oxford Road or Grange Drive or alternatively through South Marston Road and down the Highworth Road.

“These roads are already very congested so it really makes sense to build a new bridge over the dual carriageway.

“It does have to be open to all traffic,” he said. “There was a suggestion it would be open only to pedestrians, cyclists and buses and that seemed to the hundreds of residents who attended a public meeting utterly perverse.

“It’s frustrating because every candidate locally in the elections in May, including myself, was in favour of building the bridge, but nothing has happened.

“The money is there from developers. If they don’t use it it could be lost. Why not build the bridge?”

Swindon Borough Council confirmed plans for the bridge are in abeyance, but haven’t been abandoned.

Gary Sumner, the cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “Delivery of the Great Stall Bridge has been postponed to allow the council to focus on bringing forward the significant White Hart Junction and Gablecross schemes.

“This is to ensure that the local enterprise partnership monies are spent by March 2021 in line with the terms of the funding and that we deliver infrastructure which is needed and relevant to the trajectory of the New Eastern Villages. No money has been lost. It has been re-purposed on the required schemes.

“Great Stall Bridge remains a future part of the plans, but will not be needed for some time. The new White Hart Junction will ensure greater capacity and control of traffic, while delivering a forward-looking new entrance to Swindon.

“This scheme works well with the Greenbridge Roundabout already delivered as part of the wider NEV infrastructure. Good planning remains our focus and we need the right infrastructure at the right time. In the summer of 2019 the Junction 15 scheme will also start, increasing capacity and reducing congestion. Strategic planning means taking a wider and longer view to deliver and plan for growth.”