It’s ‘Go’ for traffic lights scheme (From Basingstoke Gazette)

It’s ‘Go’ for traffic lights scheme

9:57am Friday 26th October 2012 in Romsey

Enough houses have now been built at the Abbotswood development on the outskirts of Romsey to trigger work to improve safety at a busy road junction.

“Intelligent” traffic lights will be installed at the junction of Cupernham Lane with Winchester Hill (A3090).

The scheme, believed to cost around £800,000, will be paid for by the Abbotswood Consortium as part of its Section 106 developers’ contributions. However, 75 of the new houses needed to be occupied before the agreement came into force.

County councillor and town mayor Mark Cooper said the work was due to start on January 7 and was likely to last for 12 weeks.

The lights will be fitted with queue monitors so their sequencing will always favour which ever road is busiest at the time.

The works will involve reconstruction of the carriageway, the creation of turning lanes, and the installation of two sets of pedestrian crossings, one across Cupernham Lane, and the other over Winchester Road just to the west of the junction.

Mr Cooper said: “Delays exiting on to Winchester Road from Cupernham Lane are a major complaint of many residents.”

“The engineering works to improve this junction are much greater than was originally envisaged so the works will take 12 weeks. Because of the proximity of Christmas and to try and minimise disruption to Romsey traders, it has been decided to delay the works until January. Completion should be by the end of March but that may be very weather dependent,” he said.

“The pedestrian crossings are vital, pedestrian flows are relatively high and there are a number of parents and children who need to access Romsey Primary School from the Tadburn side of Romsey.”