Six months after Fleming Way was closed as work began on the centrepiece of a major regeneration scheme, some parts of the town centre are unrecognisable.

The road, which is intended to become a major public transport hub close to the railway station is still shut and will be so for another 18 months, but work has noticeably progressed.

At the western end of the road, near Cheltenham Street, the unmistakable sight of dark new asphalt shows how much has been done.

Gone is the old car park outside the UK Life Centre office block and also removed are planters with some scrubby bushes on the corner of Milford Street and in the centre of the road.

Swindon Borough Council’s senior project manager Lynsey Turner said: "We’ve created a loop at the end of the road, so buses come from the east and if they want to head the other way it’s an easy turn without having to stop."

The area of the road which was known as Beales Close will feature a taxi rank and also stops for National Express coaches, with stops for services from Oxford and Salisbury over on the other side of the road.

To the east, workers are starting on the huge task of lowering Fleming Way by about 10 feet, eliminating the underpass in the process.

It is due to begin in early April.

Senior project manager for the council’s contractors Ben Power said: “We’ll be removing 30,000 tonnes of earth doing that. But we will recycle and reuse as much as possible on this project but will remove any contaminated land for disposal.

“The project will take about four months - but we shall put in a level pedestrian-crossing just 10 metres away from the existing underpass, so people will still be able to get across on for, and it will be well-lit and perfectly safe.”

The borough council’s cabinet member for strategic infrastructure and transport Gary Sumner is watching the project come on as part of the planned regeneration of that part of town, intended to link up the shopping area to the Kimmerfields business district.

He said: "We can see other things coming along around this – the Zurich building is occupied, there is new investment in Fleet Street with developers looking to revitalise it, there are extra flats being built on UK Life Centre right here, things are moving in this area.”

Work is expected to continue on the Fleming Way project until Autumn 2024.