Balfour Beatty and Southampton City Council are working in partnership to make improvements to East Park Terrace, New Road, and Palmerston Road as part of our City Centre Transformation works, which will create the East Park Terrace Sustainable Corridor. We are working closely with Solent University to make sure our works have as little disruption as is possible to the students and staff of the university, and hope we can answer any concerns you may have below.
How will these works affect me during construction?
During construction, East Park Terrace will be closed to traffic for the duration of these works, expected to complete in Spring 2024.
This means access to the university from East Park Terrace will only be possible for pedestrians rather than buses, taxis, or vehicles. During our construction, we will always maintain pedestrian access to the university and the parks, however your journey may be slightly longer due to the bus stops now being suspended.
Where can I get my bus?
During the works on East Park Terrace, the bus stops for the 506 (Stops “ID” and “IC”) will be suspended, as well as the stop on the Charlotte Place Roundabout during Phase 1 of our works. For Phase 1, the bus stops on New Road will remain in operation.
The bus services create, manage, and maintain their own temporary bus stops and diversion routes during roadworks, as they know their customers best. Their service updates can usually be found here: https://www.bluestarbus.co.uk/service-updates
They also keep their mobile app up to date with changes.
Where can I be dropped off by car or taxi?
Due to the busy nature of the area, we cannot allow drop-off or pick-ups near to the closure as these would disrupt traffic in the region, such as at the New Road junction or Charlotte Place Roundabout. Please plan your journeys to allow you to be dropped off in a more appropriate area, such as Above Bar, and make the final part of the journey on foot.
If you require closer access due to different circumstances, please speak to the operatives on site and we will see if this can be facilitated, as traffic marshals will be present throughout the works to accommodate any changes.
Can I take an e-scooter or bike through the works?
Due to the closure of the road, bikes and e-scooters will not be able to cycle or scoot on the carriageway of East Park Terrace, so we would politely ask bikes and e-scooters to dismount when making their way safely through the pedestrian diversions as there may be heavy footfall at peak times.
I use a wheelchair/mobility scooter, can I get through the pedestrian diversions or walkways?
All of our closures and traffic management have been planned in accordance with accessibility, and we will always make sure to have enough space for wheelchairs and mobility scooter users to make their way past the works area. Disabled access will remain the same, which is as follows:
- Students with a blue badge should contact the Access Solent Team if they require parking on campus.
- Staff who hold a blue badge will already be aware of the arrangements for parking.
- Members of the public, including students accessing the pay to park areas, can find accessible bays in car park D.
- Visitors attending campus for meetings with University staff should request parking as needed via their University contact who will arrange that on their behalf.
- Accessible parking bays are all indicated on the campus map.
Please click here for a map of the campus, including disabled access: Southampton Solent University - Campus Plan - Version#1 - Way Finding
In the event that you do experience any issues or are not happy with your access, please reach out to our team on site and let them know.
Where will the temporary crossings be?
During the works on Charlotte Place Roundabout we will temporarily suspend the crossing as seen below, and temporary pedestrian routes and crossings will be in place to allow access and egress to the parks and footways of East Park Terrace.
There will also be temporary crossings in place along East Park Terrace for access to the parks, which will be clearly marked out and separated by barriers for safe crossing over from the university to the parks.
Why are these works being done and how are they funded?
These works are being undertaken as part of the City Centre Transformation, which is funded by the Transforming Cities Fund. Information on the consultation which informed these works is also available here.
Where will our fire assembly point be?
We are working closely with the university on their current fire assembly points, and your Fire Marshals on site will have the most up to date information for this, however our team will always be able to help in the event of a fire drill.
Can emergency vehicles get through?
We will always prioritise emergency vehicles over our works, and our operatives and supply chains are trained for the event of emergency vehicles requiring access.
What will happen on Open Days?
We will work in partnership with the university for their Open Days, including the coach shuttle which will run throughout the day. We will liaise directly with the events team, depending on the progress of our works, to make the Open Day run as smoothly as possible alongside our project.
I am interested in looking around at the site as part of my studies to gain some experience in the industry, can I do this?
We are always looking to help the next generation of engineers and city planners, and we are hoping to allow some interested parties into the site as the works progress. This will be organised with the university directly for students or staff alike to visit our site, and we hope to have several sessions to allow visitors safely into the works area to see what managing a project of this scale on the ground looks like.
If you are interested in any more information or have any queries not answered by these, please do get in touch with us directly on roadworks@southampton.gov.uk.