TRANSPORT improvements costing more than £3million are already underway in Gillingham, but the next part of the scheme will start tomorrow.

From August 3, work will begin at the Newbury (High Street) and Shaftesbury Road junction, including widening the existing footpaths to create a shared-use footway and cycleway around the mini-roundabout.

As part of the six-week programme a toucan crossing will also be installed on Le Neubourg Way, to the west of the mini-roundabout.

Following consultation feedback from residents it has been confirmed that the junction will remain as a mini- roundabout.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership had secured £3.18million through the Government’s Growth Deal to deliver the transport improvement package for the town.

These works, led by Dorset Council, will be followed by introducing a one-way flow southbound on Station Road, which the authority says will “improve the pedestrian environment”, and then further improvements will be made at the Shaftesbury Road and New Road junction.

During the works four-way temporary lights will be in place.

  • ROADWORKS along Le Neubourg Way, also led by Dorset Council, started in January, including cycleway construction, new traffic lights and changes to the Waitrose junction.

Highways workers are reminding residents to use the temporary push-button crossing available, as they have seen individuals choosing to cross by themselves, ending up in the live works area.

The current three-way temporary signals with controlled pedestrian crossings will remain in place until the early autumn, when the Waitrose junction signals are commissioned and Le Neubourg Way is resurfaced from Newbury to Wyke Street. Line markings will also be completed at this time.

Councillor Ray Bryan, portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: “We have high standards of site safety and this includes ensuring the works area is clearly signed and barriered off to prevent pedestrians from accessing the live construction site.

“We appreciate the crossing has been 100m or so further to walk than usual, but it will soon be moving to the site of the permanent crossing – between Church View and the Waitrose junction. Please make every effort to use the safe crossing facilities provided.”