Summary
- Where: Bitterne Road East
- When: Spring 2025
- What: Improved facilities for people walking and cycling, improved access to bus services, enhance green space and highway resurfacing.
- Why: To connect local communities with Bitterne Precinct, local schools and services
Project Details
Southampton City Council has secured funding from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to improve the facilities for people walking, wheeling, and cycling along Bitterne Road East between Somerset Avenue and Bitterne Precinct. The scheme aims to provide an active travel option for local communities connecting them with Bitterne Precinct, local schools and services.
Previous survey results can be found through the tile opposite.
January 2025
Following public consultation and Traffic Regulation Orders, we will shortly be making improvements to Bitterne Road East between Maybray King Way and Somerset Avenue from Monday 17th February 2025, for approximately 7 weeks.
Walking and cycling improvements
- New signalised crossing close to the junction of Somerset Avenue
- Widening and renewal of crossing equipment at Commercial Street
- Creation of a continuous cycle link between Somerset Avenue and Bitterne District Centre
- New wayfinding signage
Bus access improvements
- New raised kerbing added to Bitterne Library westbound bus stop
- New crossing facility will improve access
Highways improvements
- 20mph speed limit on Bitterne Road East Service Road, Milbury Crescent, Keynsham Road, Bath Road, and their side roads
- Resurfacing sections of Bitterne Road East and service road
- Drainage improvements at Commercial Street and Somerset Avenue
Greenspace improvements including new planting in the green space along Bitterne Road East.
During construction, Bitterne Road East will be closed between Maybray King Way and Somerset Avenue. We will be excavating along several areas with three teams working simultaneously to complete this work as efficiently as possible, and due to this it is not possible to maintain vehicle movements along Bitterne Road East.
(Click the map to enlarge in a new tab)
Access for Millbury Crescent and Court Close
Vehicular access to Millbury Crescent and Court Close, which is usually possible from Bitterne Road East, will no longer be possible during the closure for our works. Instead, the no-entry point on the Bitterne Road East service road which meets Bath Road will be suspended to allow for resident access and egress using Bath Road, coming from Bursledon Road. The no-entry signs in the area will be covered, however please be aware that the road marking will still be present.
No-parking cones will also be present at the junction with Bath Road to prevent vehicles from parking and inadvertently blocking access for residents, however we would like to ask that residents do not park where you see these cones, and to park considerately, keeping in mind the effect that the change of access might have on other neighbours.
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Access for residents of Keynsham Road, Nursery Gardens and Exleigh Close
Similarly to the above, vehicular access from Bitterne Road East to Keynsham Road and Nursery Gardens will not be possible during the closure. Instead, access will be possible from Bath Road coming from Bursledon Road.
The end of the closure point is situated closely to the entry and egress point of Exleigh Close, with vehicular and pedestrian access maintained throughout. There may be times where the access point may change, for example when the team might need to work on the southern footpath and will slightly encroach on the access point, however at least one lane will be open for access and temporary lights may be used during peak times.
During the overnight resurfacing, this access may be different, however we will write to residents closer to the time to advise of any impacts. 
Access to St Elizabeths Road, St Gabriels Road, St Phillips Way, St Margarets Close, and York Close
During our closure, vehicular access to Bitterne Road will not be possible from Bitterne Road East, and is instead only possible from the north via York Drove and St Gabriels Road. Similarly, access to St Elizabeths Road, St Gabriels Road, St Phillips Way, and St Margarets Close will be possible from York Drove, which can be accessed via the north coming from Shales Road.
Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance such as flashing lights and reversing sirens as this can be a noisy process. We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause.
We would like to assure residents that refuse collection will be facilitated, and if there are any issues once works begin, please speak to the team on site as they will know the works best.
For any other enquiries, please email roadworks@southampton.gov.uk.
November 2024
Since the public consultation last autumn, the council has been updating the proposed designs based on the feedback we received. We are now consulting again on these updated proposals including a Traffic Regulation Order for those aspects that require it. Please view the revised design below. If you would like to comment, please visit the Traffic Regulation Order page here.
Design Summary
- Widening of southern side footway up to Bitterne Road East service road.
- Widening to existing push button crossing on Bitterne Road East at Commercial Street.
- Cycle route now uses Bitterne Road East service road and Keynsham Road as low traffic cycle quietway.
- Allow cycle access into Bitterne Road East service road from junction with Bath Road.
- The dedicated right turn lane on Bitterne Road East into Bath Road is now retained. The left turn lane on Bitterne Road East into Bath Road is retained with about a 50m reduction in length.
- Two-way cycle lane between Keynsham Road and Bitterne Road East.
- Protected two-way on road cycle lane between new link from Keynsham Road and a new push button crossing at Somerset Avenue.
- New signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue. This will mean the removal of the dedicated right turn lane into Exleigh Close. The right turn is still permitted.
- Widening of northern side footway between new crossing and Somerset Avenue.
- 20mph speed limit on Bitterne Road East service road, Milbury Crescent, Keynsham Road, Bath Road and their side roads.
June 2024
In order to inform the future works, we have carried out investigations on the footways and carriageway of Bitterne Road East as well as Milbury Crescent, Bath Road, and Somerset Avenue from Monday 3 June 2024 for a period of 3 weeks.
More information regarding the scheme will be released in the future.
February 2024
Last autumn, we asked for your feedback on the plans to improve the facilities for people walking, wheeling, and cycling along Bitterne Road East. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to this consultation. We are in the process of reviewing the feedback received to inform the next stage of design.
The feedback can be reviewed in full here and in summary below.
Consultation summary
Total number of responses: 268
The two proposed measures with the highest level of support were:
- New signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue (63%)
- Proposed upgrade to existing signalised crossing to toucan at Commercial Street and continuous crossing across Commercial Street to link to Bitterne Library (59%)
The two proposed measures with the highest level of disagreement were:
- Changes to the Bath Road junction (52%)
- Protected two-way on road cycle lane between Somerset Avenue and Bath Road (48%)
60% of respondents told us that the proposals may have a negative impact on motor vehicle journey times.
Over half of respondents (56%) also told us that the proposals may have positive impact on the safety of pedestrians travelling along and crossing roads on Bitterne Road East.
October 2023
The consultation on the proposals outlines below has now closed. We will review all of the feedback received which will help to inform our plans for the area as these are finalised over the coming months.
- Proposed widening of path between Bitterne Road East and Somerset Avenue to make it ‘shared use’ for pedestrians and cycling.
- Proposed new signalised pedestrian / cycle crossing over Bitterne Road East, close to the junction of Somerset Avenue.
- Proposed protected two-way on road cycle lane between Somerset Avenue and Bath Road (this will mean the removal of the left turn and right turn lanes into Bath Road).
- Proposed protected two-way off carriageway cycle lane between Bath Road and Bitterne Road East access to Milbury Crescent (this will mean the existing footway along south side of Bitterne Road East will be removed).
- Proposed changes to the Bath Road junction to make it easier for pedestrians to cross Bath Road with a new continuous crossing.
- Proposed improvements to alternative pedestrian route on the Bitterne Road East service road (between Bath Road and Milbury Crescent).
- Proposed upgrade to existing signalised crossing on Bitterne Road East to toucan (for pedestrians and cycles) at Commercial Street and continuous crossing across Commercial Street to link to Bitterne Library.
- Proposed widening of path to shared use to Bitterne Precinct and continuous cycle crossing of Bitterne Road East Service Road.