A pub has sat on the hairpin corner of the Cotswold Air Balloon roundabout for centuries, but a multi-million-pound upgrade of the A417 means it will soon be demolished.
The Air Balloon pub has announced when it will close its doors for good ahead of the demolition which will make way for the 'Missing Link' project which is set to improve driven commutes between Gloucestershire and Swindon.
In a post made on the Birdlip boozer's Facebook page on December 16, the current landlords revealed that the iconic pub that many commuting from and to Swindon will recognise and will have driven past will not even make it to 2023.
It said: "To all our friends and customers, as many of you will know, for a number of years now there has been talk of the new A417 highways plan, which would require the closure of our pub to make way for the new road.
"We have loved serving you over the years but sadly the time has come where the pub will be closing in order to make way for the new road.
"Our final day will be New Year's Eve, when we are closing at 5pm. As you will understand this is a difficult time but we're looking forward to giving everyone a last great Christmas with us to remember and we want to say thank you to everyone who has already messaged us or spoken to us to pass on their best wishes to all of the team."
The 'Missing Link' project was approved by Transport Secretary Huw Merriman on November 16, which sealed the pub's fate after it had been a possibility for many years prior.
The £460million scheme aims to reduce Wiltshire residents' journeys to the M5 by improving the A417 three-mile route between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout - which links the M4 and M5.
It is frequently the site of congestion and traffic problems and poor visibility means there have been regular accidents, with a knock-on effect on the local roads that drivers often divert onto.
Preparatory work will begin in early 2023 and construction will start later that year. The improvements should be completed by 2027.
North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson and South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland welcomed the news.
In a joint statement, they said: “We are both delighted with this decision, which will help to improve Swindon’s connectivity with the Midlands and boost the regional South West economy.”
You can view the Transport Minister's decision letter here - https://tinyurl.com/y94zz6c6
For further information on the A417 Missing Link upgrade - go to https://tinyurl.com/yscmwbsn
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