A31 Ringwood improvement plans go on show
Proposed major improvements to journeys on the A31 near Ringwood in Dorset have been unveiled by Highways England.
The upgrade aims to reduce congestion and improve safety on the vital south coast route and provide better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.
The westbound A31 from Ringwood junction (where the A31 meets the A338 and B3347) to Verwood junction (for the B3081) would be widened to three lanes, adding extra capacity. An additional lane would be added to the westbound entry slip road at Ringwood junction to help relieve the existing bottleneck at the junction. Direct access from West Street to the A31 would be closed for safety reasons.
The consultation starts on Friday 23 June and lasts until 11.45pm on Friday 4 August 2017.
Highways England senior project manager Neil Andrew said:
This section of the A31 is used to make more than 77,000 journeys every day, and we’ve developed these plans to make real improvements to journeys. Plans will lead to the road being safer and supporting access for people getting to Ringwood town centre by foot or by bike.
We want the planned improvements to be the right ones for drivers and people living and working in Ringwood and the surrounding area. I encourage anyone with an interest in the A31 to get involved and let us know what they think at consultation to help us shape the project.
Funding for the scheme comes from the Department for Transport’s £15bn Roads Investment Strategy, announced in 2014, which is providing people with better journeys, cutting congestion and improving the economy.
The plans are available now on Highways England’s website, and are also available to view at five locations across the area. Highways England will also be holding two public information exhibitions at Ringwood Town Council on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July where people can come and inspect the plans in person and have the chance to put any questions directly to the project team.
All responses to the consultation will be carefully considered before an announcement on the final plans is made later this year.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.