Preliminary work planned for the New Year ahead of A338 improvements
.jpg)
Ahead of Bournemouth International Growth (BIG) Programme’s plans, funded by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership*, to carry out improvements on the A338 and Blackwater Junction, various preliminary works will be undertaken in the area in January.
Site clearance of vegetation will take place at Blackwater West junction starting on January 9 for two weeks ahead of bird nesting season in the spring. Single lane traffic management may be needed in the first week to ensure the safety of those working on the verge.
The second phase of works will begin on Monday 23 January for six weeks on the A338 between Blackwater and Cooper Dean. The first three weeks will result in a lane closure and a 40 mph speed restriction. The second three weeks will involve work away from the highway to carry out exploratory works for the Wessex Fields scheme and is not expected to impact on road users.
The A338 improvements form part of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s BIG Programme, an ambitious economic growth plan aimed at improving connectivity, easing congestion and opening up employment opportunity sites in and around Bournemouth Airport and Wessex Fields, behind the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
Ian Kalra, Head of Transportation Services, said:
“Ahead of making improvements to the road layout in the area, it is necessary for us to carry out some preliminary works including site clearance and surveying. In some cases, this may mean traffic management being used, to ensure the safety of the workforce, but this will be kept to a minimum wherever possible.”
The BIG Programme’s first major transport scheme – the £22 million major renewal of the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road between Ashley Heath and Blackwater – was successfully completed on time and under budget in May 2016.
The next phase of works schemes, being delivered by Bournemouth Council in partnership with Dorset County Council, consist of three elements including:
improvements to the A338/B3073 Blackwater Junction,
new on/off slip road to provide access from the A338 southbound to an employment development site at Wessex Fields, and
a possible widening to the A338 Wessex Way between Blackwater and Cooper Dean
Construction is set to start on the Blackwater Junction in autumn 2017.
Information supplied by Bournemouth Chamber of Trade & Commerce