Published on Tuesday 07 May 2019
As part of the final phase of the A338 / Blackwater Junction Improvements scheme, a series of overnight lane closures will be in place until the end of May 2019. The closures will run between Ashley Heath roundabout to the Cooper Dean roundabout from 8pm to 6am.
To ensure that residents and visitors can get the most out of the long weekends, there will be no overnight closures over the two Bank Holiday weekends in May. By carrying out the closures at night, people will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy a wide range of local tourism and retail attractions. Other scheduled works will however continue during the day.
The overnight closures will enable a new road surface to be laid across the entire works area. It will also allow the protection barriers to be safely taken off, moved and reinstalled in different sections of the works area. This will require the northbound carriageway to be closed overnight from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 May, from Monday 13 to Friday 17 May and again on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May 2019.
In addition, the southbound carriageway will be closed overnight on Wednesday 8 and Saturday 11 May. The southbound carriageway will also be closed at night from Monday 13 to Saturday 17 May and from Monday 20 to Friday 24 May.
There will be further night closures at the end of the month. The current schedule is also subject to change and road users and encouraged to check for updates, use alternative routes and allow extra time for their journeys.
Gary Powell, the senior responsible officer for the A338 improvements, said:
"We are pleased to see the works progressing on time and on schedule. Throughout May we will be working at night and at weekends to complete the surfacing works as we approach the end of the scheme. We advise you to be mindful of the closures before you travel. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.’’
These improvements form part of the £45.2 million investment in Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s Bournemouth International Growth (BIG) Programme, aimed at facilitating better access into and around Bournemouth Airport, unlocking employment land and stimulating economic growth.