Summary
- Where: Millbrook Road West
- When: COMPLETE
- What: Widen Millbrook Road West eastbound on the approach to Regents Park Road
- Why: To improve traffic flow and open the possibility for Southampton’s first Park & Ride site
- How: Funded as part of a Transforming Cities Fund awarded in March 2020
Latest news
August Update
We are pleased to confirm the completion of the works on Millbrook Road West. These works included widening the main road and modifying the service road junction on Regents Park Road to a permanently left turn only. Please see the before and after images below to see these improvements.
Before:
After:
July 2021 Update - Regents Park Service Road
Our final phase to modify the service road junction on Regents Park Road to make it a permanent left turn will enter its final stage to complete the lining of the junction. This will commence on Wednesday 11 August for 1 night. Working hours will be between 8 pm and 6 am.
For the duration of these works, there will be no access to Regents Park Road from Millbrook Road West. A diversion will be signed via Millbrook Road West, Paynes Road, Shirley Road, Shirley High Street and Park Street. Access from Regents Park Road onto Millbrook Road west will be maintained throughout.
Map showing temporary one way for southbound traffic and diversion route
July 2021 Update
Works to resurface the worst section of Millbrook Road West service road have been progressing well and are due to finish week commencing 5 July. The final phase of the Millbrook Road West scheme to widen the main road is to modify the service road junction with Regents Park Road to make it permanently left turn only. For the duration of these works, the service road will be closed from Whitehouse Gardens to Regents Park Road, and access will be via King George’s Avenue . Whitehouse Gardens will be accessible at all times.
For the duration of these works, there will be no access to Regents Park Road from Millbrook Road West. A diversion will be signed via Millbrook Road West, Paynes Road, Shirley Road, Shirley High Street and Park Street. Access from Regents Park Road onto Millbrook Road west will be maintained throughout. (please see map overleaf).
June 2021 Update
Despite some challenges, we will have the kerbs and central reservation completed by Wednesday 9 June when the surfacing crew come in to surface the new lane on Millbrook Road West. This is planned to take up to one week. Following this, the lane restriction on the main road will be lifted, and the bus stop at Regents Park Road will be reopened.
Separate to this we now have a programme for resurfacing the worst section of the Millbrook Road West service road in front of the shops between King George’s Avenue and Halfords. Due to the poor condition of the road this requires excavation to a depth of 30cm which means vehicle access will not be possible for this section of the service road. Full detail of the phasing of work breaks down as follows:
Phases 1 to 3 : From 14 June for up to 3 week working, working 7am to 6pm
These phases are to excavate the service road and replace the road base surface layer from Halfords up to King George’s Avenue. Access for Whitehouse Garden’s and for those businesses with their own off-road parking will be via Regents Park Road. There will be limited on-road parking available in the first week in front of the shops and then no vehicle access from King George’s Avenue until after phase 4. A temporary loading bay will be available on King George’s Avenue.
Phase 4: 5 July for 2 nights from 6 pm until 6 am - Carriageway Surfacing.
This is to lay the final top surface between King George’s Avenue up to Halford’s entrance. This is a quick process, we are saying two nights, but we hope to complete in one night. As part of this we will also replace the top surface on part of King George’s Avenue at the junction with Millbrook Road West and the service road (see map)
Phase 5: Later this summer for up to 3 weeks - Junction improvement works.
This phase is to complete the changes to the service road junction with Regents Park Road, to implement the permanent no right turn from the service road onto Regents Park Road.
May 2021 Update
Despite some challenge, we are working on phase B3 and only about 2-3 days behind schedule. Some of the challenges include uncovering a void (an old underground service chamber) which had to be capped off and buried, we also uncovered old drainage pipes containing asbestos which had to be taken away by specialises for safe disposal. The images below show works in phase B1 & B2, where we were relocating the central reservation and installing the foundations for the new lane on the main road. Click on any of the images to enlarge.
Work started on 22 February and is planned for up to 17 weeks - full details are outlined below. We will keep you updated here as the works progress.
As part of these proposals, we will be trialling contraflow cycling (where people cycling are allowed to cycle against the one way restriction) under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order that will be in place towards the end of spring 2021.
Project details
Work started on Monday 22 February and will take up to 17 weeks to complete, working Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 4.30pm. The works to widen Millbrook Road West are quite complex requiring the relocation of a gas main within the central reservation between the main road and service road. Our crew will be working alongside Southern Gas Network to move the central reservation.
At the end of the scheme, we also plan to resurface the full length of the service road from King George’s Avenue to Regents Park Road. As this has not been programmed yet, we will be updating you here and write to those directly affected closer to the time.
The initial 17 weeks of work will restrict access to the service road from the beginning, details for each of the two gas works phases and four central reservation build phases are as follows:
Phase G1: 22 February for up to 2 weeks – From Regents Park Road to Whitehouse Garden (click to see map)
This will start to relocate the gas main in the central reservation into the service road to allow the kerbs to be relocated in the next phases. Access to the shops and Whitehouse Gardens will be from King George’s Avenue. Unfortunately, as there will be insufficient turning for HGVs, there will be no HGV access, but for deliveries see below. Access to Whitehouse Garden will be the same, but as the junction into Whitehouse Gardens will be temporarily narrowed, temporary signals will allow vehicles in and out safely.
Phase G2 & B1: 8 March for up to 3 weeks – From Regents Park Road to in front of Snow Togs (click to see map)
The gas-main relocation will continue, but as this work moves westwards, our kerb works will follow, moving back the main kerb on Millbrook Road West. This will require the closure of lane one of Millbrook Road West for the next three phases and implementation of a temporary 30mph limit. Access to the shops continues to be from King George’s Avenue. There will be parking restrictions on the service road and access only beyond Snow Togs for vehicles going to Halfords. Access to Whitehouse Gardens will be via Regents Park Road for this and the next phase.
Phase B2: End March for up to 4 weeks – From Whitehouse Gardens to in front of Snow Togs (click to see map)
With the gas-main relocation complete, our work to reprofile the kerb edge along the main Millbrook Road West will continue, and then our crew will flip to the service road to relocate the kerb line working back towards Whitehouse Gardens. As before, access to the shops is via King George’s Avenue with some loss of parking and no HGV access. Access to Whitehouse Gardens continues to be via Regents Park Road via temporary traffic signals.
Phase B3: End April for up to 8 weeks – From Whitehouse Garden to Regents Park Road (click to see map)
Work continues to relocate the kerb along the service road working westwards from Whitehouse Graden towards Regents Park Road. These works will also include major reconstruction of the Regents Park Road junction to prevent drivers from turning right and signposting to enable enforcement of the no right turn.
Phase B4: To be confirmed – Resurfacing from King George’s Avenue to Regents Park Road
We will place advance warning signs with the dates for resurfacing the service road closer to the time. This is a fairly quick process with access maintained, albeit with some possible delays or diversions. We will write to those directly affected once details are confirmed.
HGV deliveries and access: As there is no HGV access throughout the works due to a lack of a turning area, we are arranging for a temporary loading and unloading bay at the end of the service road on King George’s Avenue. Parking at this location will temporarily be suspended.
Temporary change to bus stop access: Throughout phase B1 to B3 the bus stop just before Regents Park Road will need to be closed. The nearest alternative bus stop is at King George’s Avenue end on the main road (See Map). Please check with your bus service provider for details of any changes to services during these works.
For up to the minute travel information in the city, follow us on Twitter @SCChighways. For any other enquiries email roadworks@southampton.gov.uk.
Completed scheme map: (open full screen)
Consultation
Following the consultation where we wrote to over 1000 residents and businesses last year; the majority of those responding opted for the service road to become one-way eastbound (from King George’s Avenue to Regents Park Road) and to ban the right turn from the service road onto Regents Park Road. As a result, the council progressed with a formal consultation and public notices outlining the intention to proceed. There were nine comments and objections received, which were all considered. These included a request to allow bi-directional cycling, which is being looked at and a request to enforce the no right turn at the exit from the service road onto Regents Park Road, which is being enforced with physical measures and signage. There were concerns about the changes to access which had already been considered as part of the initial consultation and feasibility study. The council decision is therefore to proceed with the changes that will improve capacity on Millbrook Road West. All those commenting have now been written to.
You can view the public notice online and open the plan shared as part of public notices.
