Flooding blocks Drakes Way subway with stunning new artwork

Frequent flooding following heavy rain has often left the underpass completely submerged in water, meaning that unless cyclists or members of the public fancy getting very wet, they have to seek alternative ways to cross the busy road. 

Work to decorate the Drakes Way subway, accessible through Marlowe Avenue, started in December and was welcomed by members of the public despite questions over the logic of making it look nice when it couldn't physically be used. 

Read More: Drakes Way subway: Council commissions artist to paint flooded subway

Floodwater in Drakes Way underpass, making it impassable for members of the public on foot or on bikes (Image: Newsquest)

Some locals felt that Swindon Borough Council, which had commissioned the work, should have been prioritising the flooding issue rather than paying for painters to spruce it up, but the council said it was Thames Water's responsibility. 

The artwork, consisting of three different pieces from artists Caryn Koh, Paul Exton and Curtis Hylton, was finished in February. 

The front of the underpass has been transformed by a flower design, said to be found within the Old Town Gardens. Inside the underpass itself is a huge mural using shapes and images of people exercising. And the other side is another floral painting with a woman.

Caryn Koh, who is also the organiser of Swindon Paint Fest, said: "It’s been amazing working together with the council to paint this underpass albeit the challenges."

The three pieces of artwork that have transformed the Drakes Way subway in Swindon - although flooding remains an issue there. (Image: Swindon Paint Fest)

The underpass was flooded in December and still had a large amount of standing water when some of the artists began their work. It completely froze over in January creating a dangerous situation and in March the area was so flooded after further rain that it looked like a river. 

Read More: Drakes Way underpass floodwater freezes amid sub-zero temperatures

Thames Water said in December that the issue was caused by a surface water pipe that runs from the underpass down to a local watercourse, which is affected when water levels rise in the stream and then back up the pipe causing flooding to the underpass.

It added that it was going to conduct a survey to determine if it could lift the last section of the surface water pipe out of the watercourse so that it isn’t affected during periods of heavy rain

Floodwater in the Drakes Way subway, Swindon, in December (top left) the same water frozen over in July (right) and then the area looking like a river in March (bottom left) (Image: Newsquest)

A Thames Water spokesperson responded to the most recent flooding and said: "We received reports of flooding in the underpass of Drakes Way on March 28. We currently have teams on route to address the issue.

"We are sorry to pedestrians who are unable to use the path at this time and would like to provide assurance, we will continue to work with our local partners to come to a resolution to this ongoing problem."