Published on Friday 13 August 2021
Work on the construction of a new sustainable travel route linking Poole Town Centre with Wareham Road, Holton Heath will begin on Rigler Road on Monday 16thAugust 2021.
The work on this first section of the route will be carried out in two phases with the first phase due to be completed by late November 2021. There will be very minimal impact on traffic flow during this time.
The first phase work will consist of:
- 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 traffic. During the installation there will be temporary carriageway narrowing but two-way traffic flow will be maintained at all times.
- 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
Councillor Mike Greene, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability at BCP Council said:
"What is particularly good about this first section is that we have been able to make use of some existing bridleways and footpaths, away from the main road, in order to create traffic free sections of the new sustainable transport route. This will give a safer, cleaner cycle and pedestrian lane for the users, which will eventually form part of an 11km green travel route to Holton Heath via Woodlands Avenue, Inglesham Way, Blandford Road and Sandy Lane into Wareham Road."
The second phase of the work will commence in spring 2022 and will be completed later that summer.
The work is being funded mainly by a central government grant from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). Extra funds have been provided by BCP and Dorset Councils as well as local transport companies and business development organisations.