Drivers, rail users and pedestrians are being warned to expect disruption around Peterborough’s Queensgate roundabout this summer as work starts on a £5million scheme to better link the railway station with the city centre.
Residents using the area around Queensgate roundabout are being urged to plan ahead and allow more time for their journeys from Monday, July 6, when a series of traffic and access changes are introduced.
The measures are part of City Link, a £5million highways project led by Peterborough City Council, which will create a more direct route for pedestrians and cyclists between Peterborough Railway Station and the city centre.
The scheme will remove the two subways under Queensgate roundabout and replace them with a modern, street‑level route between the station and Cowgate.
The council says the landscape will be improved to make the area feel safer and more attractive, while strengthening the connection between the station and central Peterborough. Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders are due to be published on Thursday, June 25, ahead of the changes coming into force on 6 July, with the City Link works expected to run until summer 2027.
Lane reductions and overnight closures
Throughout the project, Queensgate roundabout will stay open with all entrances and exits in place, but the number of lanes will be reduced to a single lane to give highway crews room to work safely.
There will also be some full closures of the roundabout, scheduled overnight to minimise disruption, including an overnight closure on Sunday, July 5, from 7pm to 6am, with further overnight closures planned in spring and summer 2027.
Bus services using the roundabout are expected to experience short delays, but routes will continue to operate as the junction remains open. Queensgate’s car parks will all stay open during the works.
Parking changes at the railway station
From Monday, 29 June, the capacity of the main Peterborough Railway Station car park will be cut by 111 spaces around the Priority Parking area.
Drivers are being asked to allow extra time for parking and to consider using alternative car parks at Mayor’s Walk or Spittle Bank.
The short‑stay car park and drop‑off zone will remain open, and taxis and other vehicles will still be able to access the loop around the station car park and use the existing entrance and exit.
New walking and cycling arrangements
From Monday, July 6, the existing subway system will close. Two diversion routes are being put in place for people on foot: a route to the station around the roundabout from Thorpe Road, via the Priestgate entrance and across Bourges Boulevard, and a dedicated walk‑through across the station car park to the station itself.
Cyclists will be able either to continue using Queensgate roundabout on the carriageway or to dismount and follow the pedestrian diversion routes. The council says it expects some delays but stresses that the roundabout will remain operational.
‘Game‑changer’ for Station Quarter
City Link is the first of five projects in the wider Station Quarter transformation – a £48million regeneration scheme initially funded through the Government’s former Levelling Up Fund and now sitting within the Local Regeneration Fund.
The project is being delivered by Peterborough City Council in partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Platform 4 and LNER.
Councillor Angus Ellis, cabinet member for transport at Peterborough City Council, described the Station Quarter plans as a “game‑changer” for the city.
He said that although the station is only about a ten‑minute walk from the city centre, at present it feels disconnected and hard to navigate, with poorly lit pavements and walkways.
“City Link will transform this area into a brighter, safer and more accessible route,” he said. “In addition, those coming out of Peterborough Railway Station will be able to clearly see a welcoming route to the city centre.
“For a project of this scale to be delivered, there will be disruption, but we need to keep our sights on the end goal and what will be achieved. Journey times may be affected during the works around the station. However, we’ll be doing everything we can to keep delays to a minimum.
“We are urging people to plan ahead and allow more time for journeys on routes which may be busier than normal. We are working together with our partners to ensure that any disruption to motorists, pedestrians/cyclists, local businesses and wider residents is communicated clearly and ahead of schedule.”
Further information, including detailed maps and updates on the works, is available on the council’s Station Quarter webpages.
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