Ashley Road 'parallel' crossing - cycle lane obstructed again

RW
Oct 15
3 min read

Updated: Oct 17

The surface on the cycle path near Ashley Road has been removed and will be replaced by a non-skid surface.

News from 27 September

The image above left, taken on Saturday 27 September, shows the crossing back in operation. Cyclists now have priority over motorists at this point, and do not legally have to dismount. There have been fears expressed on social media of the risks of cyclists not stopping and/or motorists being unaware of their presence/the priority change.

Further down this page is a record of Wiltshire Council's Consultation exercise in April 2024,when residents were invited to submit comments about the (then) proposed changes.

The pedestrian crossing and cycleway across Ashley Road were both closed on Thursday 25 September, as images 2 & 3 above show. The road surface and lines needed to be re-worked, as they hadn't met the specifications required.

The image right was taken on 19 September when work to the new crossing had apparently been completed with newly painted white lines marking the cycleway and adjacent pedestrian crossing in Ashley Road. This new 'safer' scheme involved moving the black and white post that had obstructed the cycleway, to its new permanent position.

This is a well-used route for cyclists and pedestrians travelling between Stratford sub Castle and central Salisbury.

News from 18 March 2025

The two sets of temporary traffic lights on Ashley Road near the closed zebra crossing have now been removed. The new posts are in place but not yet connected and the old posts remain. Work continues to convert the Zebra rossing to a 'Parallel Crossing'. Further details below.

Newspost 11 March 2025

Preparations to move the lamp post from the cycleway at Ashley Road have begun. The zebra crossing has been closed and a temporary diversion for pedestrians marked.

Approval for a wider cyclepath between Ashley Road and the Five Rivers bridge was given as part of the Salisbury Riverpark Scheme. After a public consultation in April 2024, a status change for the Zebra crossing was granted as reported in our earlier news posts below. It will become a a 'Parallel Crossing' - a combined pedestrian and cycleway that will have priority 'over the road which it crosses'.

News post - 1 June 2024

UPDATE: The temporary traffic lights and barriers have now been removed. Work to move the lamposts on either side of the road along with a dropped kerb to line up with the cycleway are awaited.

Earlier news post - 29 May 2024

There are temporary traffic lights on Ashley Road whilst changes to the area adjacent to the newly-widened cycleway are made.

Approval for a wider cyclepath between Ashley Road and the Five Rivers bridge was given as part of the Salisbury Riverpark Scheme. More recently, a status change for the Zebra crossing was granted.

Although the cycleway has now re-opened, it does not line up with the pre-existing dropped kerb and a lampost (arrowed yellow in the image) will have to be moved.

Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for Transport, Tamara Reay, has commented:

“As part of the Salisbury River Park project, further work is planned to widen and upgrade this crossing to allow cyclists to more easily cross Ashley Road and travel along the Avon Valley shared use path without being legally required to dismount at the Zebra crossing. The consultation for these works has now closed without any objections so we are now in the process of programming these works." Source: Salisbury Journal

Kier, the contractors for the Riverpark Scheme mention the need to move lamposts in their latest Community Newsletter, May 2024.

Earlier News article dated 4 April 2024

"Status change for Zebra crossing on Ashley Road proposed by Wiltshire Council

A Wiltshire Council notice dated 4 April 2024 displayed on a lampost in Ashley Road, proposes that the adjacent zebra crossing should become a 'Parallel Crossing' - a combined pedestrian and cycleway that will have priority 'over the road which it crosses'.

Comments about this change should be addressed to Wiltshire Council by 29 April. https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/9355/TRO-Consultation-on-proposed-Pedestrian-Crossing-Ashley-Road-Salisbury

More details in the Notice below.