A40 Questions answered

Thank you for your email of 16 July 2026. We appreciate your feedback while we carry out these essential works. I have provided answers below to your points raised.

Co-ordination between Gloucestershire County Council and National Highways

As part of our regular coordination with Gloucestershire County Council, we were made aware of potential works that may have been required on St Ann Way and the options being considered by the Council.

I can confirm that these works will not be taking place on the dates you mentioned. While Gloucestershire County Council did have a permit in place covering those dates, this formed part of their standard planning and delivery process while they assessed the available options and liaised with us.

Following their assessment, it has been confirmed that works will not be proceeding on those dates.

 Traffic management layout

The current traffic management arrangement comprises lane 2 closures in both directions. The next phase of works, due to commence on 27 July, will operate under a contraflow arrangement with all traffic transferred onto the westbound carriageway under a single two-way traffic system.

While the bridge repair works themselves are located beyond The Lock Keepers and towards the Over roundabout, the extent of the traffic management is determined not only by the footprint of the works but also by the safety requirements associated with implementing and operating the traffic management arrangement, which we are required to follow.

The traffic management has been designed in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual and relevant industry standards. It must provide sufficient advance warning for drivers, safe lane transition lengths, taper lengths, traffic queuing capacity, and appropriate separation between live traffic and the work area. These requirements are based on factors such as the road speed limit, traffic volumes and the nature of the traffic management being deployed.

As a result, the traffic management extents will often extend significantly beyond the immediate work area. This is necessary to ensure the safety of both road users and the workforce and to allow traffic to merge and navigate the restrictions safely.

 Yellow box

With regard to extending the yellow box markings at this location, we do not believe this would be the most effective solution. In practice, there is a risk that the yellow box area could simply become a space for vehicles from Highnam to move into while joining the back of the queued merging traffic on the A40, which would limit its effectiveness in keeping the junction clear.

We do, however, appreciate the issue you are seeking to address and are continuing to consider other measures that may help manage traffic movements more effectively. One option could be amendments to signal phasing, although any changes would need to be carefully balanced against their potential impact on traffic flows along the A40.  See also point 6.

Bus lane

Due to the complexity of the contraflow arrangement, it will not always be possible to maintain operation of the bus lane throughout the works. This also limits opportunities to make the bus lane available for general traffic use.

During the next phase of works, the bus lane will be partially suspended between the B4125 junction and Over Farm to accommodate the traffic management required for the contraflow.

Traffic signals

See also point 4.  As mentioned previously on 28 July, once the project moves into the contraflow phase and the traffic management arrangement changes, a period of assessment will be required to understand how drivers adapt to the new layout and how traffic behaves under the revised arrangement.

In our experience, it is best to consider any potential amendments to the traffic management once traffic patterns and driver behaviour have become established under the longer-term arrangement that will be in place for the majority of the works. This allows decisions to be based on observed conditions and helps ensure that any changes can be introduced safely and effectively.

We will continue to monitor the operation of the contraflow following its implementation and will review any opportunities for improvement as traffic behaviour becomes better understood.

Proposed layout

During the contraflow phase commencing on 28 July, the single-lane running section will begin from the lane merge located outside Linton Lodge (Highnam Court). Through traffic will then continue in a single-lane arrangement for the length of the works through to Over Roundabout.

However, access to local properties and businesses has been incorporated into the traffic management design. A dedicated left-hand lane will open up shortly before Over Farm to provide access to Over Farm, Toby Carvery and Horseshoe Drive, including access for residents and visitors to The Lock Keepers.

Please refer to the contraflow traffic management map for further information on the layout and access arrangements.

Contraflow Eastbound Closure

July to October 2026 – A40 eastbound carriageway between Over Farm and Over roundabout.

Closed.

• eastbound drivers will use a contraflow on the westbound side of the bridge
• one lane of traffic running in each direction with a 30mph speed limit

Contraflow Westbound Closure

October 2026 to January 2027 – A40 westbound carriageway between Over roundabout and Over Farm.

Closed.

• westbound drivers will  use a contraflow on the eastbound side of the bridge
• one lane of traffic running in each direction with a 30mph speed limit