Highways

We held a meeting with the Highways Department and the new cabinet member for transportation issues last week to discuss the various traffic problems in our ward, the outcome of this meeting was as follows:

Holdenhurst Road: Instructions were given to begin works to improve the Richmond Park Road junction (by the fire station) to improve traffic flow along the length of the road between Ashley Road and this point. These works will probably take around 6 – 9 months to complete.

Instructions were also given to review the bus lane and begin negotiations with the bus companies to make it part time only.

King’s Park Slip Road: Instructions were given to commence the construction of the slip road. The works may take up to two years because of some considerable work that will be required to the Wessex Way, but at last the scheme is officially under way!

Castle Lane East: Instructions were given to begin the works to improve the Riverside Avenue/Tescos and Holdenhurst Avenue junctions. Again, these may take a year or so to complete. They will include the widening of the junction to make three lanes crossing the junction heading towards Iford. Two lanes will filter to one going straight ahead while there will be a dedicated right hand turn lane for Holdenhurst Avenue.

These road improvements will mean the loss of a couple of the trees on the corner of Riverside Avenue and Castle Lane East, we feel though that this is a price work paying for a much safer junction in this location.

Right turns exiting Holdenhurst Avenue will be prohibited and a new feeder lane will be created to exit the road on to Castle Lane East heading towards Cooper Dean.

Instructions were also given to review the bus lane here too and begin negotiations with the bus companies to make it part time only.

Iford Lane: Instructions have finally been given to widen the pavement running under the railway bridge, making the lane single carriageway only under the bridge, and giving priority to traffic travelling South along the road.