Drivers urged to be 'more French and use both lanes'

Drivers have been urged "to be more French" to help ease long queues caused by motorists not using both lanes ahead of a merge.

The plea was made by Céline Acard, National Highways' project manager for the A417 Missing Link scheme in the Cotswolds, which is expected to fully open by spring 2027.

After two new sections of the route opened to drivers, Acard, who is French, said traffic would move "smoother and quicker" if motorists used both lanes ahead of them merging.

Eventually, the scheme will replace the heavily-congested single carriageway with a new three-mile (4.8km) dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester.

Acard said: "At the minute you've got two lanes down at the bottom of the hill.

"Please, please be more French and use both lanes so you can actually have the traffic moving smoother and quicker."

The new temporary route of the A436 and A417 opened on 6 July and will be in place until September.

National Highways' Acard said, while the change in route may be disruptive, by next month, there should be a new section of the A417 open for drivers to use.

"We had to move traffic onto the new A436 to allow us to work at specific locations we couldn't access before, thinking about the section between the Air Balloon roundabout up to the Birdlip Junction," she said.

"Now it's permanently closed, we are excavating, building, making sure all the drainage is in place so we can link the new A417."

Highway Code rules state drivers should generally use both lanes up to the merge point and then take turns joining the remaining lane, like the teeth of a zip.

Away from traffic, Acard said a new section of the Cotswold Way, which will "hopefully" be called the Air Balloon Way, will enable walkers, cyclists, and horse riders to travel from Crickley Hill Country Park to the Golden Heart Inn.

The route will take non-drivers over the new Cotswold Way Crossing, which will go over the A417 and be used by cows, too.

In the meantime, Acard said she encourages drivers to make use of all available space as work continues.

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