Hampshire Now - your County Council magazine

Updated roads and utilities for Lyndhurst

Friday, 05 October 2012

Hampshire County Council and utilities companies have teamed up to ensure that essential work to upgrade and improve Lyndhurst's roads and infrastructure is coordinated and will cause the least disruption to local people and businesses.

Disruption minimised

In a package of measures designed to improve the town's vital services, pavements and roads, highways teams are working with major utilities to carry out gas, sewer and footway work and to resurface the carriageway.

Any disruption will be kept to a minimum, with no work carried out in the run up to and during Christmas and avoiding events such as Remembrance Day and the school half-term, to reduce the impact on residents and local businesses. Undertaking the utility and road works in parallel also means that work is completed in the quickest time possible.

Vital services improved

Utilities are being modernised to make sure that local energy supplies keep up with future demand and delivery is not interrupted. Lyndhurst's footpaths and roads are also being improved as part of Hampshire County Council's long-term Operation Resilience programme to 'future-proof' Hampshire's roads. This modernisation of central Lyndhurst's infrastructure is due to finish - weather permitting - at the end of February 2013.

Local businesses open for usual

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport and Environment said:

"Local businesses will be open as usual and we have taken great care to coordinate the programme to make sure there are no works during the busy Christmas shopping period. Some of the works overlap to reduce the time needed to complete the job. Parents will be pleased to know that, at our request, the gas mains replacement has been brought forward to avoid half-term holiday and we have also made sure that Remembrance Day commemorations will be unaffected.

I understand the work may be inconvenient for local people but this is a much needed update to Lyndhurst's infrastructure and I can reassure residents that we will continue to monitor the situation to keep disruption to a minimum. However, please allow more time for your journey while works are in progress."

The agreed programme includes:

  • Week commencing 8 October for four weeks: Romsey Road - gas mains replacement (Scotia Gas Networks Southern)
  • 17-19 October: High Street - carriageway resurfacing (Hampshire County Council's highways teams)
  • Week commencing 24 September for three weeks: Shrubbs Hill Road / High Street / Romsey Road - footway works (Hampshire County Council's highways teams)
  • Week commencing 14 January 2013 for one month: Romsey Road - sewer lining (Southern Water)
  • Week commencing 12 February 2013 for three weeks: High Street - sewer lining (Southern Water)

Operation Resilience

Hampshire County Council's 'Operation Resilience' programme targets 350 separate sites on roads and pavements throughout the county in a planned maintenance programme. The £17 million annual programme is a long-term investment that represents a shift away from reactive to planned maintenance, an approach which is not only more cost effective but also ensures that roads remain in good condition for longer.

This year's work in Hampshire includes:

  • 120 miles of Hampshire's road network have received a new surface treatment or been resurfaced at 278 sites (80% of planned total for the year)
  • 20 miles of Hampshire's footways have received a new surface treatment or been resurfaced at 94 sites (66% of planned total for the year)
  • 21 footway schemes and 8 drainage schemes have been completed
  • A further 9 footway schemes and 2 drainage under construction

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