Bitterne Road East will close for seven weeks from February 17 for work between Maybray King Way and Somerset Avenue.
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Southampton City Council (SCC) said the scheme will “improve the road surface, highway safety, local people’s access to buses and the local environment for people walking, wheeling and cycling”.
Work is funded by the governement's Active Travel Fund.
Scheme design has been “significantly amended following survey work, investigations and feedback from local people received in the public consultation in Autumn 2023,” an SCC spokesperson said.
Photo: SCC
“For example, the originally proposed changes to the junction with Bath Road were not taken forward and will not be implemented. The evolved scheme was then consulted on in November 2024.”
The council said work would include:
- A new signalised crossing on Bitterne Road East nearby to the junction with Somerset Avenue
- Widening and renewal of the signalised crossing at Commercial Street
- Creation of a continuous cycle link between Somerset Avenue and Bitterne District Centre utilising a short length of Bitterne Road East, Keynsham Road and the Bitterne Road East service road
- 20mph speed limit on Bitterne Road East service road, Milbury Crescent, Keynsham Road, Bath Road, and their side roads
- Drainage improvements at Commercial Street and Somerset Avenue
- Resurfacing sections of Bitterne Road East and the service road
- New planting alongside Bitterne Road East
- New wayfinding signage for people walking, wheeling and cycling
SCC said: “In order to manage the highway network efficiently, we have considered several ways to deliver these changes, however, to enable the safe installation of these new enhancements as quickly as possible, Bitterne Road East will need to be closed for seven weeks from 17 February.
“Local people have been written to with alternative routes to their roads, and these are also available on the Bitterne Road East project page on Connecting Southampton. A signed diversion route will be in place for through traffic.”
There’s more information about the scheme’s aims and detail on the council’s transport website.
Previously
Council consults on Bitterne Road East active travel proposals