Botley bypass: Drivers warned of month-long temporary traffic lights at roadworks site
Drivers have been warned about roadworks delays that will start at the end of this month.
Temporary traffic lights will be put in for the best part of a month as work continues on the Botley bypass.
Hampshire County Council, which is running the scheme, says that the work will affect two roads near the work.
On the A3051, which runs from Botley to Park Gate past Curbridge and the new Whiteley estates, two-way traffic lights will be put in on weekdays from Monday, March 30 until Friday, April 24. They will run from 9.30am to 4pm, but will be lifted for the Easter bank holiday weekend, from the Thursday evening.
On the A334 from Botley to Wickham, there will be two-way lights at the junction with the A3051. These will run overnight on weekdays from 8pm to 6am from Monday, March 30 to Saturday, April 25. The lights will also be lifted for Easter.
There will no longer be full road closures during the Easter school holidays, but instead these have been put back to coincide with the May half-term. During these closures, a roundabout will be built at the A3051/A334 junction, and the existing road levels will be raised by about a metre. The council says that the change of plan does not mean that the scheme is running late.
Cllr Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “Much of the construction for the Botley Bypass has been carried out without the need to significantly disturb traffic or close roads, helping to limit the impact on local journeys so far.
“As we move into the next phase of this major project, we now need to connect the new route with the existing road network, which will require some unavoidable traffic management.
“Our teams are working hard to minimise disruption as much as possible, and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. We will be providing advance notice of any changes so local residents, businesses and other road users can plan ahead and allow more time for travel.
“Once complete, the new bypass - due to open late summer next year - will provide much needed extra road capacity, easing journeys to and from Southampton and the M27. It will also bring significant benefits to communities in and around Botley by reducing congestion, noise and pollution that have affected the village for many years.”