Works to improve pedestrian safety in Castle Hill set to begin

Castle Hill in Windsor is set to be partially pedestrianised and widened as works to improve it begin next week (Monday, March 13).

A public consultation saw ‘the majority of respondents’ supporting making Castle Hill a pedestrian-first location.

Councillor Phil Haseler, cabinet member for planning, parking, highways and transport, said this scheme ‘will result in a vast improvement.’

 “We know that this junction can be busy with pedestrians crossing, particularly during the peak summer tourist season,” he said.

The improvements in Castle Hill and St Alban’s Street will see Castle Hill get a wider pavement on the southern (shops) side of the road.

Vehicle movements will be limited to castle-access-only during its visiting hours. 

The project will be carried out over four phases. The first phase will begin on the northern (castle) side of Castle Hill and run until around May.

The plan is to spruce up the existing Yorkstone pavement and replace the road surface.

Once completed, it will include a protective gate behind the Queen Victoria statue to aid pedestrian safety, with bollards installed at the end of St Alban’s Street with its junction with Castle Hill.

There will be two-way vehicle access from the junction with Park Street.

The protective gate would be opened outside of castle visitor hours, meaning businesses on Castle Hill would still be able to receive deliveries. 

The other three phases:

• Phase two, on the shops side of Castle Hill, will see the introduction of a ‘far wider’ pavement as well as new high velocity vehicle mitigation measures and a gate
• Phase three, at the junction of Castle Hill and St Alban’s Street, is scheduled to start in September and include the bollards and a raised crossing point to the castle visitor entrance
• Phase four will see pedestrian walkways installed either side of the carriageway down St Alban’s Street.

Temporary disruptions

From Monday, a temporary one-way system up Castle Hill and down St Alban’s Street will be in place.

This is so that residential properties can still be accessed. It will remain in place for the duration of the work.

Vehicles making deliveries will be unable to stop and unload in Castle Hill and drivers will instead need to park in nearby Thames Street, or High Street; or use the existing loading bays in Church Lane and Queen Charlotte Street.

Access to Henry VIII and advance gates will be retained.

No work will be taking place during the Coronation Bank Holiday weekend.

A summer pause has been incorporated into the programme, with ‘ideally’ no works taking place during most of July and August.

During phase two works on the shops side of Castle Hill, access to businesses will be maintained with work taking place outside of opening hours, where necessary.