Lorries and motorway traffic heading to the south coast should avoid Bath and go via Wiltshire instead, a new government study states.

The A46 and A36 through Bath is the current designated route for traffic heading from the M4 to the Dorset coast, funnelling it across Cleveland Bridge and past homes on London Road, Bathwick Street, and Warminster Road.

But now a government study recommended making the A350 in Wiltshire the designated route instead.

Manda Rigby, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We are delighted at this outcome. No longer will Bath be seen as the preferred route for HGVs between the M4 and the South Coast once the study is implemented.

“This will have a hugely positive impact on traffic flows long term in Bath and North East Somerset, and air quality enhancements, and will unlock opportunities for reevaluating traffic interventions through north east Bath. We look forward to working alongside National Highways and other key stakeholders to implement the recommendations highlighted in the report.”

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National Highways’ M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Connectivity Study says that traffic between the M4 and the Dorset coast would now follow the A350 via Chippenham, Melksham and Westbury to which a series of road upgrades would take place, and then join the A36 at Warminster.

In practice, heavier vehicles have already had to find alternate routes due to the 18 tonne weight limit on Cleveland Bridge. Introduced in 2021, Bath and North East Somerset Council renewed the temporary weight restriction while it monitors the safety and integrity of the Grade II* listed structure.

It has been a source of contention with Wiltshire Council who have warned it has forced those lorries through towns like Westbury instead. But Wiltshire Council has welcomed the recommendations to make the A350 the designated route.

Parvis Khansari, corporate director of place, said: “It now means that highways improvements could be made at several key points in the county, including at Melksham, Westbury, Warminster and Salisbury. We will now consider the study’s findings and we will support National Highways to move the study’s recommendations forward and develop a programme of developments to secure further investment into our roads.

“There is a long way to go before we can secure this investment and make these improvements a reality, but this is a vital first positive step in the right direction. This corridor is not only essential for regional travel, but these strategic roads also provide vital links between many of our towns and villages here in Wiltshire and so improving them will benefit us all while boosting the economic prospects of our county.

“We welcome safer, more reliable journeys through Wiltshire, between the M4 and the south coast, and look forward to the next steps and unlocking future investment into the region’s transport links and Wiltshire’s highways network.”