The Salisbury bypass has been a topic of debate since the 1960’s, with various proposals considered to solve congestion in and around the city. The inner ring road, Churchill Way, was built in the 1960’s and 1970’s as a temporary measure, but the outer bypass was never constructed. In the 1980s, Wiltshire County Council began developing plans for a southern bypass, which was put forward for public consultation in 1988. 1 The route was chosen to pass to the east of South Newton, with the support for this route being the most significant. The bypass was never built due to environmental concerns and political decisions and a solution to the traffic problems that blight the city has never been found.
Current status May 2025: All previous plans have been cancelled and there is currently no planned route for a bypass at the current time.
Advantages: A bypass would provide further opportunities for building outside the city attracting people and businesses to move to Salisbury and in the short term may alleviate traffic volumes on the inner ring road.
Disadvantages: The historical routes previously suggested have mostly been built upon with residential housing. As such only limited routes are available. The costs of building a bypass would extremely high and would require local and Government support. However, a bypass would not alleviate the high traffic volumes within the city.
Recommendations: A bypass will not solve the traffic congestion within the city centre. As such priority should be to assess the aspects promoted by the Salisbury Transport Strategy to increase walking, cycling and public transports access to improve safety and traffic access within the city.
1. How plans from the 90s hint at what a Salisbury bypass could be like. Salisbury Journal https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/19170528.salisbury-bypass-look-like-based-old-plans/ (2021).
Image Courtesy of Salisbury Journal
