A36 Beckford Road tunnel repairs could run into 2027, Morford Street is shut for six weeks and Manvers Street stays closed until about 20 November.

This week in Bath, the council says repairs to the canal tunnel under the A36 Beckford Road could run into 2027, with temporary lights on the road above. Morford Street is shut for about six weeks. The M4 is shut east of junction 18 on the nights of 5 and 6 November, Remembrance Sunday closes much of the city centre on 8 November, and the A46 north of the city is shut on the nights of 9 and 10 November.

Bath roadworks cluster on a short list of pinch points: the A36 threading past the city, Cleveland Bridge, the London Road, and a city centre that is deliberately hard to drive through. We rechecked this page on 5 November 2026. It also has the evergreen answers, on the Clean Air Zone, park and ride and parking, that decide how you should come into the city at all. For live works street by street, the council points drivers to its one.network map.

Bath closures: what starts and ends when Dates as given by the council, National Highways and the rail operator Since 10 Oct Canal and towpath shut; lights on A36 Beckford Road Tunnel repairs could run into 2027; no diversion confirmed From 2 Nov Morford Street, Lansdown About six weeks of gas main work, order made 5 and 6 Nov M4 eastbound shut overnight, junctions 18 to 17 9pm to 6am; narrow lanes at 50mph due to January 9 and 10 Nov A46 shut overnight, Cold Ashton to London Road 8pm to 6am for drainage; diversion A420, A350 and A4 16 Nov Cleveland Bridge: new 18-tonne order proposed Up to 18 months, so to mid-May 2028 at the latest 20 Nov Manvers Street due to reopen Council’s estimate, not a guarantee 28 to 29 Nov London Paddington closed GWR runs Euston to Bristol Temple Meads instead Sources: B&NES Council, 29 Oct and 4 Nov 2026; National Highways, 4 Nov; GWR, read 5 Nov. Graphic by Bath Daily
The dates that matter over the next month, each from the operator's or the council's own notice. Graphic by Bath Daily

A36 Beckford Road: canal tunnel repairs could run into 2027

The council gave its latest update on 4 November. A structural issue, found during planned works to improve walking and cycling routes, has affected the Bath No.1 canal tunnel, which runs under the A36 Beckford Road at the north end of Sydney Gardens. The council says the tunnel and footpath are temporarily closed and temporary two-way traffic signals are in place on the A36. It expects that the work “could continue into 2027” (B&NES Council, 4 November 2026; A36 Beckford Road and Bath No.1 Tunnel).

The tunnel belongs to the Canal & River Trust and is a historic structure. The council, the Trust, Historic England and the contractor are carrying out surveys, investigation and design work, and approvals have to be secured before permanent repairs can begin. The work listed now includes laser scanning, heritage and structural surveys, any temporary measures needed to protect the structure, regular engineering inspections, and working out the safe passage of boats.

What we could not confirm on 5 November:

  • Diversions. The council says it is “not yet able to confirm any potential diversion routes”.
  • A reopening date for the canal or the towpath. None has been given.
  • The Canal & River Trust’s own notice. Its notice search showed no results and its notices feed returned an error when we tried it.
  • The lane layout. The 4 November release says two-way signals. The older 12 October entry on the same page still describes an eastbound one-lane closure. We have gone with the newer wording.

Treat the towpath through Sydney Gardens as shut and allow extra time on Beckford Road.

The walking and cycling scheme itself continues next door on A36 Sydney Place until 20 November, with two-way or three-way lights as required, 24 hours a day, and six parking bays suspended on New Sydney Place. Construction hours are 8am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. The council warns that the programme is potentially delayed. Two sets of night closures are still marked “November 2026, to be confirmed”, with no dates: three nights, 7pm to 6am, at Sydney Place and the east end of Great Pulteney Street, and four nights, 7pm to 6am, on Beckford Road between Beckford Gardens and Sydney Road (B&NES Council).

Sunday 8 November: Remembrance closures in the city centre

The Royal British Legion parade leaves the Guildhall at 1.29pm, followed by a civic procession to Bath Abbey for the 2pm service (B&NES Council, 29 October 2026). The council’s order closes these roads on the day (THTSC1013, 22 October 2026):

Road Closed
Cheap Street, Westgate Street and Saw Close, full length 6am to 4.30pm
Upper Borough Walls, Saw Close to Northgate Street 6am to 4.30pm
Trim Street and Trim Bridge, 24 metres north from Upper Borough Walls 6am to 4.30pm
Queen’s Parade and Queens Parade Place, full length 8am to 1pm
High Street and Orange Grove, full length 9.30am to 4.30pm
Bridge Street, Northgate Street, Pulteney Bridge, Argyle Street up to Grove Street, and Grand Parade 9.30am to 4.30pm
Pierrepont Street, northbound from Terrace Walk and southbound from the Grand Parade junction to Orange Grove 9.30am to 4.30pm
Royal Avenue, full length 6.30pm on Saturday 7 November to 1pm on Sunday

Parking and loading are also banned on those streets, and that includes Blue Badge holders. Other places have their own orders, including Keynsham, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Saltford, Weston, Pensford, Stanton Drew and Peasedown St John. We have not read those, so check the council’s list if you are heading to a parade there.

Prior Park Road, Widcombe: nine days have run out, reopening unconfirmed

We cannot confirm that Prior Park Road, the A3062 climbing from Widcombe towards Combe Down, has reopened. The council’s order closed it from its junction with Claverton Street up to Prior Park Cottages, from 24 October for an anticipated nine days, for building restoration and Section 50 street works. That timing ran out around 2 November, but the order allows up to six months, and the works, not the notice, decide when the signs come down (B&NES notice THTTC4354, made order, 22 October 2026).

On 5 November we found no council notice saying the road had reopened, and no extension in the notices it published on 29 October. If the signs are still up, the signed route is long, because there is no short way round the hill:

  • clockwise: the A3062, the A367 (Wellsway) and the A36 back to Claverton Street
  • anticlockwise: Claverton Street, Pulteney Road, the A36 and the A367 to the A3062

A46 north of Bath: shut again on the nights of 9 and 10 November

National Highways’ closure report, issued on 4 November, lists the A46 both ways between Cold Ashton roundabout and the London Road roundabout as closed from 8pm to 6am on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November, for drainage. The diversion is the A420, A350 and A4. The report stops at 10 November, so more nights may be added (National Highways road closure report).

National Highways has also given notice that it intends to make an order for overnight closures, 8pm to 6am, on the same stretch and on the northbound entry slip at London Road junction, for drainage and maintenance on or after 20 November. The order would start on 18 November and last up to 18 months (National Highways notice, 3 November 2026). Neither source explains how the 9 and 10 November nights fit with that later start date.

The earlier resurfacing closures at the Hartley Bends have finished; the last night listed was 30 October (National Highways A46 project page).

This week on the motorways: M4 shut east of junction 18 for two more nights

National Highways’ seven-day closure report, issued on 4 November and running to Tuesday 10 November, lists these overnight closures near Bath (National Highways road closure report):

Night What is shut Signed diversion
Thu 5 Nov, 9pm to 6am M4 eastbound, junction 18 to junction 17, for the drainage scheme A46 south, A420 east, A350 north, back on at junction 17
Fri 6 Nov, 9pm to 6am M4 eastbound, junction 18 to junction 17 As Thursday
Thu 5, Fri 6, Mon 9 and Tue 10 Nov, 9pm to 6am M4 westbound entry slip at junction 19, for electrical works A4174, A38 and M5
Mon 9 and Tue 10 Nov, 9pm to 6am M32 northbound entry slip at junction 1, same works A4174, A38 and M5
Mon 9 and Tue 10 Nov, 8pm to 6am A46 both ways, Cold Ashton to London Road A420, A350 and A4

If you head east from Bath late on Thursday or Friday, you can still join the M4 at junction 18, but you cannot carry on east to junction 17. The diversion takes you down the A46 and across country on the A420. The report lists no further junction 18 to 17 closures from Saturday to Tuesday.

The longest closure in the report is unchanged. The link from M4 westbound at junction 20 onto the M5 northbound, the Almondsbury interchange, is listed as closed for structure maintenance from 11 October to 6am on 5 December. The signed route is M5 southbound to junction 16 and back north.

On the A36 south of Bath, two separate jobs close the road overnight:

  • Beckington/White Row roundabout to Warminster Services roundabout, both ways, 8pm to 6am on Friday 6 November, for urgent carriageway reconstruction. The southbound diversion is the A361, Wynsome Street, Bradley Road, Southwick Road, Westbury Road and the A350, and the reverse northbound. There is local access between Beckington and Thoulstone.
  • Cotley Hill to Deptford, near Warminster, about 16 miles south, 9pm to 6am on the nights of Thursday 5, Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November, for tree work and planting, with the diversion via the A350 and A303.

National Highways updates the report twice a day on weekdays, so check it the night before a long drive.

Closed now: Manvers Street, until 20 November

The biggest disruption in the city is right outside the station. Manvers Street is closed to all motor vehicles, 24 hours a day, between the Dorchester Street and Henry Street junctions while the council rebuilds the road from the foundations up; the concrete slabs beneath it, laid over wartime-era vaults and cellars, have worn out. Work started on 26 May 2026 and the council expects to finish by 20 November 2026, in time for the Christmas Market. It is a £5 million job, paid for from the West of England Combined Authority’s Maintenance Challenge Fund and carried out by contractor M Group. Crews work Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm, with some nights and weekends (B&NES Council).

The council will not guarantee the completion date. Its own page says the timeline is an estimate, and that working in phases is what lets it promise the road will be open for the Christmas Market.

While it lasts: pedestrians get through, cyclists are asked to dismount, every bus stop on Manvers Street is closed with routes diverted, and the Manvers Street car park stays open throughout the works, reached via Pierrepont Street. If you are catching a train from Bath Spa, allow a few extra minutes and approach from Dorchester Street.

The Christmas Market runs from 26 November to 13 December, with a residents’ preview on 25 November. Its organisers say road closure details will come “closer to the time” (Bath Christmas Market).

Since 29 September: Upper Borough Walls and Parsonage Lane

The biggest change in the middle of Bath is not a resurfacing job. The council has now made the order closing Upper Borough Walls for its entire length, and Parsonage Lane for its entire length, to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. It took effect from 29 September 2026 and the works are anticipated to take eighteen months. The reason given is contractors working on the old Bath Mineral Hospital (B&NES notice THTTC4296, made order, 25 September 2026).

Read the order carefully, because “closed for 18 months” overstates it. The council says the streets will not be closed continually. The closures apply between 10am and 6pm, and only for short periods when construction loading or unloading is going on. Those times can be adjusted, and any diversion will be signed during each closure.

Two other things in the same order change how the streets around Saw Close work:

  • The loading bay on Avon Street, near the junction with Corn Street and the Riverside coach park, is suspended. In its place, for as long as the order lasts, there is a temporary 30-minute waiting bay, at all times, for goods and construction vehicles only.
  • The bollards at the junction of Westgate Buildings and Saw Close are to be removed, so that construction lorries can get into Saw Close from Westgate Buildings. Police, fire and ambulance vehicles may use it too. Emergency access at Cheap Street stays as it is.

The contact given is the on-call manager at contractor BUKO. We have set out the whole order in our report on the Upper Borough Walls closures.

Closed now: the drive through Royal Victoria Park, to mid-March

The road through Royal Victoria Park, from the Park Lane and Weston Road junction round to a point opposite the Victoria Obelisk, has been closed since 28 September 2026. This one is the council’s own scheme. The order covers footway and carriageway resurfacing, a new zebra crossing and new raised crossing points (B&NES notice THTTC4355, made order).

The finish date has moved. The traffic notice said September 2026 to January 2027. The council’s announcement on 1 October says the aim is to complete by mid-March, ahead of the Bath Half Marathon, with the works phased around key events (B&NES Council, 1 October 2026). Work on the lighting, crossings and pavements started in the week of 19 October (B&NES Council, 19 October 2026).

Phase two runs from 2 to 16 November, with these restrictions 24 hours a day (B&NES, Royal Victoria Park improvements):

  • Closed to vehicles: the access road from Park Lane, and the western and southern park roads near the play park.
  • Parking suspended: everything in the closure area and all of the northern park road.
  • Still open: the access road from Weston Road. Drivers and cyclists follow the clockwise one-way route from there and leave by the Victoria Obelisk.
  • Short-stay parking: the eastern side of the park, Park Lane (free for up to three hours), Royal Avenue including its accessible bays, and the new bays on Weston Road.

Royal Avenue is shut from Saturday evening until 1pm on Remembrance Sunday (see above), so it is not an option that morning. The western footways on the access road and affected park roads are closed, but other pedestrian routes stay open, and park events are going ahead. The council is working with businesses in the park so deliveries can continue. The cycle lane itself is paused while the council reviews the traffic order decision; the lighting and pavement work carries on under separate orders (B&NES Council, 30 October 2026).

The scheme includes:

  • resurfaced pavements and new accessible crossing points
  • heritage-style lighting
  • a new zebra crossing in Park Lane, near the entrance
  • a segregated cycle lane along the southern carriageway, and north west towards Park Lane against the one-way flow

Two permanent orders for the park came into force on 5 October. One creates the two contraflow cycle lanes. The other removes paid bays on the north west access road and along the eastern and northern side up to the Obelisk, adds double yellow lines and disabled bays inside the park, and turns paid bays on Royal Avenue into three disabled bays (order 26-052A, order 26-052C). The council says 177 spaces will remain in the park, with about 74 new short-stay spaces on Weston Road, where the first hour is free.

Lansdown and Julian Road: the gas main upgrade moves on

Wales & West Utilities is upgrading gas mains around Lansdown, working through the streets one at a time rather than all at once, with access kept for residents. Morford Street is the live phase: closed from 2 November for about six weeks, so until around mid-December, under an order the council has made. A one-week closure of Julian Road at the Morford Street junction is proposed from 16 November.

Streets Dates Status
Morford Street, from Lansdown Road to Julian Road; signed route Lansdown Road and Julian Road From 2 November, about six weeks Made
Julian Road, a few metres either side of the Morford Street junction; long signed route via Lansdown Road, the A4 and Crescent Lane From 16 November, about one week Intends

Morford Street is THTTC4289 and Julian Road THTTC4323, both in the council’s 29 October notices. The Park Place and Park Street phase was due to end on 16 October, and Richmond Road on Beacon Hill had about ten days from 23 October, so both are off the list.

Every other closure ordered around Bath into late November

These come from the council’s own statutory notices under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The distinction in the last column matters: where the council has made an order, it is a decision; where it intends to make one, it is a proposal and can change. Dates are the start date the notice gives, and the duration is what the applicant anticipates, not a guarantee. The Prior Park Road, A46, Lansdown and Royal Victoria Park closures are covered above.

Road From Anticipated Works Status
Mount Road, Southdown (The Hollow to no. 114) 14 Oct 4 weeks National Grid, low voltage cable Made
Midland Road, Westmoreland 26 Oct 12 days Wales & West, isolating a gas main Made
Sleep Lane, Whitchurch (Emmaus House to Oakley) 2 Nov 6 weeks New pedestrian crossing Made
B3114 Stoke Hill, Chew Stoke 3 Nov 3 days Wales & West, new gas service Made
Elmhurst Estate, Batheaston 4 Nov 3 days, 8am to 6pm Openreach, pole renewal Made
Dapps Hill, Keynsham (Chew Cottages) 4 Nov 3 days Openreach, duct and blockages Made
Connection Road, Twerton (whole length) 9 Nov 36 weeks Twerton substation upgrade Intends
Pulteney Gardens, Widcombe (where Horseshoe Bridge crosses the canal) 9 Nov 5 weeks Bridge maintenance and repairs Intends
Upper East Hayes, Walcot (A4 London Road to no. 10A) 9 Nov 3 days Wessex Water, stop tap Intends
Priston Lane, Priston 9 Nov 2 days National Grid, new connection Intends
Queen Charlton Lane, Queen Charlton 9 Nov 2 days Bristol Water, carriageway defect Intends
Teviot Road footpaths, Keynsham 9 Nov 1 day, 9.30am to 3.30pm Openreach, duct Intends
Middle Stoke, Limpley Stoke (Wiltshire Council) 9 Nov 5 days, 8am to 6pm Openreach, cabling Intends
Crowe Lane, Freshford (about 71m from Church Lane) 10 Nov 1 day, 8am to noon SSEN, ivy removal from a pole Intends
Sion Hill, Lansdown (Cavendish Road to Sion Hill Place) 11 Nov 3 days Openreach, blockages; eastbound one way, not a full closure Intends
Bath Road, Paulton (260m east of Hanham Lane) 12 Nov 1 day, 9.30am to 3.30pm Openreach, cabling and tree cutting Intends
A367 Wellsway (Milton Avenue to Holloway) and Holloway (to Beechen Cliff Road) 16 Nov 6 nights, 8pm to 6am; after 11pm on the first night B&NES highway improvement works Intends
Old Midford Road, Midford (‘Hazel Elm’ to ‘Station Cottage’) 16 Nov 5 days National Grid, new electricity supply Intends
Connection Road and Clyde Gardens, Twerton, at the High Street junction 16 Nov 1 day, 8am to 5pm Openreach, chamber works; no diversion Intends
Chew Hill and Harford Square, Chew Magna (one at a time) 16 Nov 5 days Openreach, cabling and blockages Intends
Church Lane, Monkton Combe (Summer Lane to Dairy Cottage) 17 Nov 3 days Wessex Water, stop tap Intends
Church Road, Peasedown St John (nos. 75 to 87) 17 Nov 3 days Bristol Water, new supply Intends
Oak Street, Westmoreland (30m from Wood Street) 17 Nov 1 night, 10pm to 6am Network Rail, bridge inspection Intends
Henrietta Mews, Bath (46m section, 112m from Henrietta Street) 18 Nov 1 day, 8am to 5pm MJ Quinn, clearing a blockage Intends
Summerfield Road, Beacon Hill 19 Nov 2 days, 9.30am to 3pm Wessex Water, stop tap Intends
Church Lane, Limpley Stoke (A36 to Middle Stoke; Wiltshire Council) 25 Nov 1 night, 9pm to 6am Openreach, cabling Intends
C213 and UC 806401, Monkton Farleigh (Wiltshire Council) 27 Nov To 10 Dec, 8am to 6pm Openreach, ducting Intends

Two closures in this list are on through routes in the city. Mount Road in Southdown is shut for about four weeks from 14 October, with the signed route via The Hollow. Midland Road in Westmoreland, from the rear car park entrance up to just north of Stothert Avenue, has been closed since Monday 26 October for an anticipated twelve days, so until around 6 November, under an order the council has made, with traffic sent via the A36, Windsor Bridge Road and the A4 (THTTC4367, 22 October 2026).

The longest new job is due to start on Monday. The council intends to close Connection Road in Twerton for its whole length from 9 November for an anticipated 36 weeks, while contractors upgrade Twerton substation, with traffic sent via the A36 Lower Bristol Road and the High Street. In Widcombe, Pulteney Gardens is due to close where Horseshoe Bridge crosses the canal for five weeks from 9 November, for bridge repairs, with the signed route via the A36, Bathwick Hill, Sydney Buildings and Horseshoe Walk. Both are proposals so far (THTTC4368 and THTTC4401, 22 October 2026).

On the Wellsway, the signed route for the six nights from 16 November is the A362, A37, A39, A4 and A36 (THTTC4415, 29 October 2026).

The council has also made an order for drainage and ground investigation surveys from 2 November, with diversions signed at each closure. Its schedule is marked subject to change, with final dates to be agreed. It lists two nights on B3110 Midford Road, Odd Down, between 2 and 5 November (8pm to 6am), two on A367 Wellsway northbound, Midford Road to Hatfield Road, between 11 and 13 November, and two on A367 Wellsway southbound between 16 and 18 November (THTTC4420, same notice).

Walkers and riders should know about three path closures:

  • Public footpath BC35/9 off Upper Bristol Road, about 54 metres down to the riverside path BCRIV/1, is closed from 15 October to 1 January 2027 for Bath River Line improvement works. The order is now made. The alternative is Upper Bristol Road, Locksbrook Road and footpath BC35/7 (B&NES order, 14 October 2026).
  • Public footpath BA22/1 on the Wansdyke at South Stoke, about 112 metres heading east from its junction with footpath AQ89, has been closed since 9 October for eight weeks. The landowner is resurfacing it to stop erosion of the Wansdyke, a scheduled monument (B&NES order, 7 October 2026).
  • Public byway BA15/3 at Wilmington Hill, Marksbury, about 464 metres from Priory Lane to Wilmington Hill, is closed for two months from 19 October for surface improvements. The alternative is Priory Lane, Church Lane and byway BA15/14 (B&NES order, 14 October 2026).

Sources: the council’s bundled traffic notices published on 25 September, 1 October (one, two), 8 October (one, two), 15 October (one, two) 22 October (one, two) and 29 and 30 October (one, two, three), plus Wiltshire Council’s notices (15 October, Church Lane, Monkton Farleigh). The council’s notices for this Thursday, 5 November, were not on the Public Notice Portal when we checked that morning, so a road shown as “Intends” may since have been made. Closures whose anticipated dates have now passed have been taken off the list: Freshford Lane, Clapton Road and Silver Street in Midsomer Norton, School Lane in Farrington Gurney, Bloomfield Lane in Paulton, Radford Hill in Timsbury, Marksbury Lane in Stanton Prior, Upper Church Street in Lansdown, Hook Lane in Hinton Blewett, Braysdown Lane in Peasedown St John, Hollies Lane and Northend in Batheaston, Combe Hay Lane in Midford, Cork Street in Lower Weston, the one-way section of Dafford Street in Larkhall, Westgate Street in the city centre, Clutton Hill, Oak Terrace and Cypress Terrace in Westfield, Binces Lodge Lane and Millards Hill in Midsomer Norton, Norton Lane in Whitchurch, the A368 40mph limit at Stowey, and Royal Crescent.

One longer job is booked for the far south of the district, and its dates have moved. Bristol Water is replacing a water main at Tunley, about seven miles south west of Bath. The council’s latest notice, published on 21 October, now covers four paths off Tunley Road and Prison Lane (footpaths BA10/1, BA20/2 and BA20/3 and bridleway BA10/4), from 5 November 2026 to 25 February 2027. The September notice had said six paths from 2 November to 22 February. The latest notice we could read is still a proposal (B&NES notice, 21 October 2026).

Cameras have enforced six restrictions since 24 August

Six moving traffic restrictions that were already on the signs are now enforced by camera. Automatic number plate recognition went live at five junctions on Monday 24 August 2026 (B&NES Council). Nothing about the restrictions themselves has changed. What has changed is that a camera, rather than chance, decides whether you are caught.

The council’s enforcement locations page lists all six, each in force 24 hours a day:

  • Brook Road, Bath: 7.5 tonne commercial vehicle weight restriction.
  • Cavendish Road and Sion Hill junction, Bath: no right turn.
  • George Street and Gay Street junction, Bath: turn left ahead.
  • George Street and Gay Street junction, Bath: no entry.
  • High Street, Bath Hill and Temple Street, Keynsham: no right turn.
  • Newbridge Road and Newbridge Hill, Bath: no left turn.

There is a six-month warning period at each site. A first contravention at a location normally brings a warning notice rather than a Penalty Charge Notice, so the first real penalties fall due around late February 2027 (B&NES Council). Speeding is not covered; that stays with the police. We have set out the detail, including the council’s own contravention surveys, in our report on the new cameras.

The A36, the M4 and the Cleveland Bridge limit

National Highways is repairing limestone walls on the A36, and has been since 16 February. The repair phase began on 7 April and runs to November 2026. Sections of the northbound lane are closed under temporary traffic lights 24 hours a day. Each closure is kept under 200 metres. At some points two sections are worked on at once, and queues build at peak times (National Highways).

The M4 east of junction 18: 50mph narrow lanes from November

National Highways is rebuilding drainage on the eastbound M4 between junctions 18 and 17, east of the Bath and Tormarton junction. Its scheme page, read again on 5 November, says:

  • the M4 eastbound is closed overnight between junctions 18 and 17 from 2 to 6 November; the page says from 8pm, the closure report says 9pm
  • three narrow lanes eastbound, 24 hours a day, with a 50mph limit, from November 2026 to January 2027, with full overnight closures needed to put the lanes in and take them out
  • a 50mph limit from November 2026 to April 2027, when the work finishes

It does not say which day the narrow lanes start. The signed diversion for the full overnight closures runs via Chippenham (National Highways).

The traffic order is now made, and it is wider than the scheme page. It allows a 50mph limit in both directions, bars vehicles over 2 metres wide from the outside lane, and permits overnight closures, 8pm to 6am, of the M4 both ways between junctions 17 and 18, of the junction 18 eastbound entry and westbound exit slips, of the junction 17 westbound entry and eastbound exit slips, and of Leigh Delamere services, for works finished by 30 April 2027 (National Highways notice, 28 October 2026). The order permits those closures; the closure report says which nights are actually booked.

A second made order covers junctions 16 to 17, towards Swindon, for geotechnical work to 4 October 2027, with 50mph limits, a westbound contraflow and permitted overnight closures (National Highways notice, 28 October 2026).

At the other end of the same trunk road, Cleveland Bridge still carries its temporary 18-tonne weight limit, in place on the Grade II listed structure since 2022. The council extended it again on 30 October 2025. The old order expired on 15 November, and the replacement Temporary Traffic Regulation Order runs for up to twelve months, so it holds until around 15 November 2026 while monitoring of the hanger bars continues (B&NES Council). It is now set to run much longer. On 29 October the council gave notice that it intends to make a new order from 16 November 2026, for 18 months or until the bridge repairs are finished, if sooner. That takes the limit to the middle of May 2028 at the latest. The new order keeps the same 18-tonne ban on the bridge and the same 7.5-tonne lorry ban on 38 city centre streets (THTTC4422, 29 October 2026). Our story on the new order lists the streets and the signed diversion.

Two things drivers get wrong about it. The limit applies to all vehicles, coaches included, and it is enforced by ANPR camera: one driver was convicted on 22 October 2025 and ordered to pay £680. The council also extended a temporary 7.5-tonne HGV restriction on a number of city centre roads, to stop lorries turned back from the bridge cutting through the middle of Bath, with loading still allowed. Around 16,000 vehicles a day cross the bridge and the council puts this year’s breach rate at 0.06 per cent of them.

Trains: Paddington shut 28 and 29 November

Great Western Railway’s planned engineering page, read on 5 November, lists nothing at Bath Spa before January, and it does not mention Oldfield Park or Keynsham at all. The Bristol to Weston-super-Mare work on the weekends of 14 and 15 and 21 and 22 November does not mention Bath Spa either (GWR planned engineering).

The dates that matter for a trip to London or beyond:

  • Sunday 15 and 22 November: only two of the four tracks are available between London Paddington and Reading, so trains run to an amended timetable. The same applies on 5 and 6, 13, 19 and 20 December.
  • Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November: London Paddington closed. GWR runs hourly trains from London Euston to Bristol Temple Meads, which cannot stop between Euston and Swindon. Reading to Bristol trains carry on. The page does not say how Bath Spa is served that weekend, so check before you book.
  • Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January: Paddington affected again, with Euston trains running to Bristol Temple Meads or Weston-super-Mare.
  • Sunday 10 January: no services between Hayes & Harlington and Slough until 9pm, so no GWR services for Paddington until then, and no diversion to Euston.
  • Sunday 17 January: London to Bristol and South Wales trains are diverted, with South Wales trains running via Bath Spa.
  • Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January: replacement road transport between Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa. Diverted London trains stop at Bath Spa, hourly and slower than usual.

Our Bath to London train times page has the normal timetable and fares.

New permanent rules this autumn

These are not roadworks, but they change how you drive and park. The council published notices on 24 September and 1 October for orders it has already made. The first five are now in force; the last two are still to come:

Where What changes From
Upper Bloomfield Road, Odins Road and Oolite Road, Bath No waiting at any time, and a loading-only bay in Oolite Road 28 September
Royal Victoria Park and Royal Avenue, Bath Two contraflow cycle lanes; paid bays replaced by double yellow lines and disabled bays 5 October
Keynsham and Saltford New double yellow lines on nine Keynsham streets, a 30-minute bay and a goods-only loading bay on Temple Street 1 November
Newbridge, Bath (resident parking zone 29) Permit holder bays, 8am to 6pm 2 November
Bloomfield Road, Timsbury 20mph speed limit 5 November
A368 Wick Road, Bishop Sutton 30mph speed limit 30 November
Durley Hill, Keynsham 30mph speed limit 18 January 2027

Sources: B&NES notices of making for orders 26-055B, 26-052A, 26-052C, 26-051, 26-044, 25-040, 26-061 and 26-033.

One is still only a proposal, and the objection period closed on 15 October: a red route clearway on Lansdown Road, plus new yellow lines and blue badge bays across Weston, Newbridge and Lansdown. We have set out every change in our report on the Lansdown Road red route.

The city centre is designed to keep you out

Two standing restrictions catch visiting drivers more than any roadworks. Milsom Street is closed to general traffic between 10am and 6pm. The council made that restriction permanent after the 2021 trial (B&NES Council).

Separately, under the city centre security scheme, the core streets around the Abbey are closed to vehicles between 10am and 6pm. Blue Badge holders and taxis carrying them are the exception (B&NES Council).

The Clean Air Zone: cars are not charged

Bath’s Clean Air Zone covers the city centre and operates 24 hours a day, every day. The key fact most visitors have wrong: private cars and motorbikes are never charged, whatever their age. The daily charges, from the council’s own table, apply only to older, non-compliant vehicles in these categories:

  • £9 a day: taxis and private hire vehicles, minibuses, vans and pick-ups under 3.5 tonnes.
  • £100 a day: buses, coaches and HGVs; private horse transporters and motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes pay £100 unless registered with the council for the £9 rate.

Compliant vehicles (broadly, Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol and newer) pay nothing. Check any vehicle on the GOV.UK checker before a trip.

Park and ride: usually the right answer

Bath has three park and ride sites, all run by First Bus, with buses up to every 15 minutes taking about 10 minutes into the centre, seven days a week. Parking is free if you travel on the bus the same day. If you park at a park and ride site and do not take the bus, the 24-hour charge went up from £3 to £4 on 1 October 2026; the up-to-three-hours charge stays at £2 (B&NES Council).

Bath's three park & ride corridors Bath city centre Lansdown P&R (north) Service 31 · Lansdown Road, BA1 9BJ Newbridge P&R (west) Service 21 · Newbridge Rd, BA1 3NB Odd Down P&R (south) Service 41 · Roman Road, BA2 8PA Buses up to every 15 min, about 10 min to the centre, 7 days a week. Parking free when you ride the bus.
Bath's park and ride network. Site and service details from First Bus, August 2026.

The council is asking what Park and Ride should become

B&NES opened a survey on 1 September asking who uses Park & Ride, how often, what works and what should change. It runs until later this year at haveyoursay.bathnes.gov.uk/parkandride, with paper copies in libraries. The council says the three sites carried more than 2.5 million passenger journeys over the past 12 months, and that Bath’s Park & Ride took the second-highest satisfaction score in the country for the third year running in the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey. It is testing whether the sites should grow into wider transport hubs, adding cycling, e-bikes and e-scooters alongside the buses (B&NES Council).

One detail worth knowing before you fill it in: the 24-hour charge for parking at a park and ride without taking the bus went up from £3 to £4 on 1 October. Odd Down is also served by the Number 4 bus, which runs direct to the Royal United Hospital.

First Bus’s published fares are:

  • Adult return: £3.70.
  • Group Return, two adults travelling together after 9:30am on weekdays: £5.50.
  • Under-16s: free with a fare-paying adult.

(First Bus Lansdown page)

Parking if you must drive in

  • Bath Spa station car park has just 78 spaces (GWR), so do not build a journey around finding one.
  • Charlotte Street is the main long-stay council car park, open 24 hours with no maximum stay, a short walk west of Queen Square; pay by MiPermit, or cash and card at some machines (B&NES Council).
  • Council car parks charge by emissions band: the older and more polluting the vehicle, the more each hour costs, and diesels pay a surcharge (B&NES Council).

What changed on 25 August

The council’s 2026-27 parking changes took effect on Monday 25 August, after two rounds of consultation (B&NES Council). The changes are:

  • Residents’ permits are priced by vehicle size as well as emissions. Charges run in eleven bands based on a vehicle’s length multiplied by its width, with mirrors extended. The smallest cars get £20 off a first permit; the largest pay a capped £112.08 supplement, and £308.22 on a second permit.
  • A valid MOT is required for a residents’ permit.
  • Visitor permits went from £1 to £1.50 a day, the first of three annual steps to £2.50 by 2028.
  • Parking charges now apply on Weston Road, between Park Lane and the north east entrance to Royal Victoria Park, matching Royal Victoria Park’s emissions-based tariff with the first hour free.
  • Park and ride 24-hour parking went from £3 to £4 for drivers who do not use the bus, a month later, on 1 October.
  • Charged hours at the Bath Sports and Leisure Centre car park now start at 6am rather than 8am, and the four-hour overnight cap on electric vehicle charging bays at Larkhall Square is removed.

Saturday charges at Bath Hill East car park in Keynsham were dropped after residents and businesses objected. We have written up the size-based bands, with worked examples, in our report on the new charges.

Frequently asked questions

Is engineering work affecting trains from Bath Spa?

Not at Bath Spa itself before January, on GWR’s page as read on 5 November. The next big change is in London: Paddington is closed on 28 and 29 November, with GWR trains running from Euston instead. Replacement road transport runs between Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa on 30 and 31 January.

Is Prior Park Road in Bath closed?

We cannot confirm that it has reopened. The council’s order closed the A3062 Prior Park Road from Claverton Street up to Prior Park Cottages from 24 October for an anticipated nine days, which ran out around 2 November, but the order allows up to six months. On 5 November we found no reopening notice and no extension. If it is still shut, the signed route runs via the A367 Wellsway and the A36.

Is the A46 closed at night?

Yes, on two nights so far. National Highways lists the A46 both ways between Cold Ashton roundabout and the London Road roundabout as closed from 8pm to 6am on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November, for drainage, with the diversion via the A420, A350 and A4. It has also given notice of further overnight closures on or after 20 November.

Which roads are closed in Bath on Remembrance Sunday?

On 8 November the order closes Cheap Street, Westgate Street, Saw Close and Upper Borough Walls from 6am to 4.30pm. High Street, Orange Grove, Bridge Street, Northgate Street, Pulteney Bridge, Grand Parade and Pierrepont Street close from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Royal Avenue is shut from 6.30pm on Saturday to 1pm on Sunday.

Why are Upper Borough Walls and Parsonage Lane closing?

Contractors are working on the old Bath Mineral Hospital. The council has made an order, in force since 29 September 2026, with the works anticipated to last 18 months, closing both streets for their entire length. They will not be shut continuously: the closures apply between 10am and 6pm, and only for short spells when construction vehicles are loading or unloading.

What is happening in Royal Victoria Park?

The drive through the park, from the Park Lane and Weston Road junction to opposite the Victoria Obelisk, has been closed since 28 September. The council is resurfacing the footway and carriageway and putting in a new zebra crossing and raised crossing points. From 2 to 16 November the access road from Park Lane and the western and southern park roads are closed to vehicles, with parking suspended there and on the northern park road; use the Weston Road entrance. The cycle lane is paused while the council reviews its traffic order decision. The council aims to finish by mid-March, ahead of the Bath Half Marathon.

Is the M4 junction 18 exit for Bath closed?

The closure report does not list it. On the nights of Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November, 9pm to 6am, the eastbound M4 is shut from junction 18 to junction 17, so you cannot carry on east past junction 18. The diversion is the A46 south, A420 east and A350 north.

Why is the canal towpath at Sydney Gardens closed?

A structural issue has affected the canal tunnel under the A36 Beckford Road, found during walking and cycling works. The canal and towpath at the north end of Sydney Gardens have been closed since 10 October. The council said on 4 November that the work could continue into 2027, and that it cannot yet confirm any diversion routes.

Why is the M4 50mph near junction 18?

National Highways is rebuilding drainage on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 18 and 17. After the overnight closures that end on 6 November, its scheme page gives three narrow eastbound lanes at 50mph, 24 hours a day, to January, with a 50mph limit to April 2027.

Is Manvers Street car park open?

Yes. The council says the car park stays open throughout the works, with access via Pierrepont Street.

Why is Manvers Street in Bath closed?

The road is being rebuilt from its foundations: the concrete slabs under the surface, laid over old vaults and cellars, have deteriorated. It is closed to motor vehicles between the Dorchester Street and Henry Street junctions until around 20 November 2026. Pedestrians can still get through and the Manvers Street car park stays open via Pierrepont Street.

Do I have to pay Bath’s Clean Air Zone charge in my car?

No. Private cars and motorbikes are not charged in Bath’s zone, regardless of age; it is a Class C zone. Non-compliant taxis, vans and minibuses pay £9 a day, and non-compliant buses, coaches and HGVs pay £100.

Is there still a weight limit on Cleveland Bridge?

Yes. The temporary 18-tonne limit runs to around 15 November 2026 under last year’s order, and the council has given notice of a new one from 16 November 2026 for up to 18 months, to mid-May 2028 at the latest. It applies to every vehicle, coaches included, and is enforced by ANPR camera.

How much is Bath park and ride?

Parking is free when you travel on the bus. On First Bus’s published fares an adult return is £3.70, a weekday Group Return for two adults after 9:30am is £5.50, and under-16s travel free with a paying adult. Buses run up to every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

Which Bath junctions have new traffic cameras?

Camera enforcement went live on Monday 24 August 2026 at Brook Road (7.5 tonne weight limit), Cavendish Road and Sion Hill (no right turn), George Street and Gay Street (turn left ahead, and a no entry), Newbridge Road and Newbridge Hill (no left turn), and High Street, Bath Hill and Temple Street in Keynsham (no right turn). All six run 24 hours a day. For the first six months a first offence at a location normally brings a warning notice rather than a fine.

What changed about Bath parking charges?

Since 25 August 2026 residents’ parking permits have been priced by vehicle size as well as emissions, and a valid MOT is required. Visitor permits went from £1 to £1.50 a day, and charges now apply on part of Weston Road. Park and ride parking for drivers who do not use the bus went up from £3 to £4 on 1 October.

Where should I park for Bath Spa station?

The station car park has only 78 spaces. For a day trip, Odd Down park and ride serves the south side, or use Charlotte Street and walk; Manvers Street car park remains open during the roadworks, via Pierrepont Street.

Where can I check current roadworks in Bath?

The council publishes live works on its one.network map, and National Highways lists A36 scheme updates on its South West maintenance page.

Sources

Roadworks change week to week; treat the dated closures above as correct at publication and check the live map before you travel. Last updated 5 November 2026.