Starting Monday, 9 February 2026, a significant section of Queensway, the primary high street in Bletchley (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire), will close to all vehicular traffic so work crews can begin Phase 2 of the Queensway Improvement Scheme.
The closure will affect the stretch of Queensway between Cambridge Street and Bedford Street and forms part of the wider Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Deal programme. The works are being delivered by Milton Keynes City Council and are funded from the Government’s Town Deal allocation for Bletchley and Fenny Stratford (the Town Deal programme awarded the area £22.7 million).
Crews will remove the existing carriageway and replace it with high-quality stone paving, install upgraded street lighting and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and introduce measures to prioritise pedestrians. The council says shops and businesses will remain open and pedestrian access to storefronts will be maintained, and it has introduced mitigation measures — including free parking in designated nearby car parks — to help shoppers. Local businesses have raised concerns about delivery access during closures.
The project is part of a broader plan to make the high street more attractive to pedestrians, support outdoor dining and independent retail, and to help the area better compete with larger shopping centres as town centre growth continues. Government Towns Fund documentation and local project materials say the regeneration aims to prepare the area for increased local demand as rail and other connectivity improvements come online.
The works are expected to run for several months, with final completion of Phase 2 projected in late 2026. Local leaders acknowledge the closure will be disruptive in the short term but say the long-term benefits — a more modern, economically resilient town centre for Bletchley — will outweigh the temporary inconvenience.
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