Published on Tuesday 10 August 2021
Work on the next sustainable travel route aimed at transforming local travel is due to start construction at Rigler Road, Poole later this month.
It marks the start of new walking and cycling improvements creating a healthy and eco- friendly way of travelling to and from locations between Poole town centre and Holton Heath.
Plans for these improvements were informed by responses gathered during public engagement late 2020, and formal consultation which ran from 24 February to 31 March this year.
Funded through BCP and Dorset councils’ Transforming Cities Fund (TCF), the work will be undertaken in two phases:
Phase one (estimated start/completion dates: mid-August to late November 2021) – Rigler Road:
- Cycle lane ‘separators’ (flexible poles) will be installed along the existing on-road cycle lanes on both sides of Rigler Road from the Eccles Road junction to Twin Sails bridge to protect cyclists from road traffic
- A new shared use path will be constructed from Rigler Road through the Holes Bay regeneration site between Eccles Road and Blandford Road and around the Hamworthy Recreation Ground. It will link with the existing bridleway from the BMX track and Hamworthy Allotments which will be tarmacked up to Blandford Close near Cornerstone Academy
- The existing path on Rigler Road will be locally widened at the existing refuge island to link to the new shared use path
Very minimal impact on traffic is expected during these works.
Phase two (estimated start/completion dates: spring 2022 to summer 2022) – Hinchcliffe Road and Blandford Close:
- The existing bridleway behind Cornerstone Academy linking to Hinchcliffe Road will be upgraded with a tarmacked surface and improved drainage
- Junction improvements at Blandford Close
Councillor Mike Greene, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability at BCP Council said:
"The start of construction on another sustainable travel route in south east Dorset shows our region’s commitment to changing how people are able to travel locally, now and for generations to come. The reality of our ambitions is coming to life with this latest work enabling green travel in Poole. I am really excited about the progress we are making to transform local travel, helping to address not only congestion and provide healthy ways of making journeys to and from work, education and leisure, but crucially to make an important contribution to reducing climate emissions."
Final design plans of the planned improvements at Rigler Road, Blandford Close and Hamworthy Recreation Ground are along with the consultation reports and outcomes are available on our Rigler Road Project Page.