Major plans for Hurn roundabout set to be outlined (From Thisisdorset)
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Major plans for Hurn roundabout set to be outlined
1:00pm Sunday 27th January 2013 in Latest By Katie Clark
CONGESTION CHANGE: Hurn roundabout near to Bournemouth Airport
MAJOR plans to ease congestion at Hurn roundabout in Christchurch are to be outlined next week.
Engineers from Dorset County Council are looking at ways to ease traffic jams, with residents able to have their say on the two options on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The first option being considered by Dorset County Council is a signalised junction while the second option is a bigger improved roundabout.
Dorset Highways project manager Jody Foy said: “Hurn Roundabout already struggles to cope with peak time traffic and, with the expansion of Bournemouth airport and associated business park, we need to consider ways to increase the capacity of key junctions on the B3073.”
But Cllr Margaret Phipps, chairman of Hurn Parish Council and Christchurch councillor, said she did not know whether the measure would improve the traffic situation at Hurn.
“It is a difficult one,” she said.
“Generally the parish council believe that the back-up of traffic that we have at Hurn is not necessarily caused by the roundabout. It is caused by Blackwater junction – that is what we believe.
“But because any work at Blackwater would be a major infrastructure project and very expensive, the county council are looking at Hurn roundabout first.
“We, as a parish council, have been involved in talks with the county council about the roundabout plans, which is the preferable option as far as we are concerned.
“The plans have been amended several times to move it south as something so huge right on the village would be a nightmare.
“We have put a newsletter out to all our residents in Hurn telling them about the exhibitions. And we want to hear from them.
“We feel as a parish council we have done the very best we can do to ensure that the village and the conservation area and the rural aspect of the village is being preserved in light of them proposing such a huge scheme.”
The two outline designs will be on display and the project team will be available to answer residents’ questions at Hurn Bridge Sports Club, Avon Causeway, Christchurch from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday January 29 and from 2pm to 7pm on Wednesday January 30.
Work is currently programmed to start in early 2014.
To view the plans online visit www.dorsetforyou.com/hurn-roundabout
Comments(17)
Phixer
says...
2:22pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Staggered working hours at Hurn businesses would probably go some way to ease peak time traffic but, having driven along Fairmile during the mornings, I would suggest that the tail-backs are generated elsewhere.
Does it really need spending a lot of money and destroying the village to prove the planners wrong?
Personally, I would suggest that much of the traffic is using this route as an alternative to travel east/west for which a link road to the north of the airport from Christchurch to Ferndown would be better.
But then, who cares if my tax money is wasted to keep some public servants in a job. We have all seen the waste of money on traffic lights at roundabouts.
wonderway
says...
2:33pm Sun 27 Jan 13
The Renegade Master
says...
2:42pm Sun 27 Jan 13
funkyferret
says...
3:06pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Agree with the filter lane idea, and hope this will all be paid for by the 'drop off' charge at no net cost to the taxpayer...
#dream on ....
Tango Charlie
says...
3:07pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Tango Charlie
says...
3:07pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Western Sunset
says...
4:50pm Sun 27 Jan 13
I don't like the idea of more traffic lights on this road. The ones by the airport already disrupt the flow, with hardly any traffic going in/coming out of the airport.
I don't see how increasing the size of the roundabout, which is the other option, will help the traffic flow either.
What is required is a new east-west route to relieve both Castle Lane and Parley.
P Barker
says...
5:40pm Sun 27 Jan 13
madras
says...
7:43pm Sun 27 Jan 13
hucky999
says...
7:50pm Sun 27 Jan 13
RivermeadMike
says...
8:44pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Tango Charlie wrote:Better still get someone with at least a smidgen of common sense!
Please get an engineer to design it, not and architect...
Anyway Councillor Phipps is absolutely right to say the problems are not with the roundabout, but
with the Blackwater Bridge junction.
Also as someone else has mentioned Hurn and Fairmile Roads add to the congestion.
twynham
says...
8:53pm Sun 27 Jan 13
.
Yes, maybe enlarge it to allow a slip lane and cycle lane from Blackwater to Christchurch Rd for traffic to the business park but whilst MAG are running the airport with around 20 passenger flights a week for five months of the year, hardly necessary to service the airport.
Browser123
says...
11:05pm Sun 27 Jan 13
Western Sunset wrote:. Main reason for traffic lights
Looking at both options on the Dorset CC website, they seem to take up quite a bit of land.
I don't like the idea of more traffic lights on this road. The ones by the airport already disrupt the flow, with hardly any traffic going in/coming out of the airport.
I don't see how increasing the size of the roundabout, which is the other option, will help the traffic flow either.
What is required is a new east-west route to relieve both Castle Lane and Parley.
outside airport is for the gravel quarry opposite the airport, hidden by the trees. \Their large lorries could not come out and turn right to Matchams as no one would give way.I travel twive a day from Parley to Christchurch and never had a problem. But Avon Causeway traffic in mornings is at a standstill waiting to getting to Blackwater,
crispy_pants
says...
12:54pm Mon 28 Jan 13
.
They'll install traffic lights and they'll be operational 24hours a day rather than just peak times.
.
I hate to say this indirectly to faceless planners, but there are lots of times when you don't appear to have a clue.
paul.p
says...
2:16pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Roundabouts are better, provided drivers are paying attention.
As long as this isn't designed by the party who had a hand in the Airport junction, what a mare that is when it's busy.
The left hand lane into the Airport should be for just that not straight on as well. The offside lane should be for going right or straight on.
Hammy1
says...
3:38pm Mon 28 Jan 13
MandinVerwood says...
2:07pm Sun 27 Jan 13
I wish they would also put a roundabout in at the end of matchams lane too.
And then another road with a roundabout at the junction with the east bit of the airport road, and a new road across to the the A338. This would then remove the pressure on Blackwater and open up the airport to better connections a bit more too.