Cycleway update

The cycleway from Manor Roundabout to the Bincombe junction will be open in mid to late March. The sections in this area that lead into the park and ride site will be open by the summer.

• The cycleway through the Littlemoor gap is behind the noise barrier. The planting through this section is currently being completed and the mud will soon be cleaned off the path. As the path approaches the Littlemoor Road bridge, cyclists can either fork left and join the paths on the south side of Littlemoor Road or continue north under the new bridge.
• The Monkton footway/cycleway is now progressing well with the sub-base stone layer being prepared for surfacing.

The northern section of cycleway between the Bincombe junction up to the Ridgeway bridge and down to the lone house, Swallows Rest, will be open by the summer.

The Littlemoor Road cycleways will be open by the summer.

Weekend working

Weekend work has been approved for small scale finishing jobs such as soiling verges, preparing and laying footpaths and the erection of fences and environmental barriers.

The extended hours apply to the whole scheme and are for the rest of January and whole of February.

• Saturdays 8am to 5pm
• Sundays 9am to 4pm

Right foot forward

Following the clearance work at Manor Roundabout near Morrison’s, work has started on improving the footpath in the area.

The pavement is being widened to provide good access to the new Manor subway that has been built as part of the relief road. The slope of the footpath down to the subway will also be suitable for mobility scooters.

The new subway is underneath the relief road Manor Roundabout spur and links up with the footpath/cycleway from Manor Roundabout to Lorton Lane and Littlemoor, and with the Two Mile Coppice bridleway.

What’s happening in June?

This photo shows construction of the reinforced earth wall that leads up to the Two Mile Coppice underpass. The wall is being seeded as it is built, and over time it will look like a tall grass bank.

Elsewhere, there’s a lot of work between Littlemoor and Ridgeway to complete cable trenches and drainage.

Earthworks to form the road, footpaths and roadside bunds will also continue from Chalbury Basin to the Littlemoor ponds. There’s also a lot of drainage being put in along this section this month.

The Lodmoor Park and Ride is starting to take shape, with the bunds of earth that go around the site currently being constructed.

Work will continue on the bridges this month; some will be surfaced and waterproofed, others will have rails and vehicle restraints installed.

Chalk stabilisation, to form the first layer of the road, also starts this month.

A ridge too far? Not anymore!

The walk from Upwey Station has got easier for many locals in Littlemoor, as Southdown Ridge bridge is now open for pedestrians and the longer diversion route around the site can be closed.

Work to complete top-soiling and bridge finishings is ongoing, but walkers will be able to use the bridge while this work is done.

Walk this way

Dry weather means that we can get on with completing footpaths and cycleways for the scheme.  Kerbings have been laid on the new footpath and cycleway from Upwey Station to the new Southdown Ridge bridge.

This route should be open to the public in early May, meaning that people will no longer have to walk around the diversion on Southdown Ridge.  A little further south, the Lorton Lane bridge should also be open in May.

Sub of the day

As you can see from the photo above, the new Manor Subway is now mostly built.

The subway gives pedestrians a safe route under the relief road near Manor Roundabout to get to schools to the north and the supermarket to the south.

Of course there is still a lot of work to do before the subway will be opened, including putting in the footpath and landscaping the area.

Footpath diversion

From Monday 1 March, the temporary path around the Manor Roundabout works will be closed. Pedestrians will be directed onto the west side of Dorchester Road and through the existing Manor subway.

Walkers approaching from the town centre are being asked to cross the road at Morrison’s before they reach the roundabout, and walkers approaching from Wey Valley School are urged to cross at the pelican crossing near Radipole Lane.

Read the press release.

Out of the ground

Work to construct Lorton Lane bridge is moving on, with the concrete support on one side of the bridge poured and the other ready to be poured soon.

The new bridge is slightly south of the existing road, and will connect to footpaths and bridleways in Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve, which in turn connect to Southdown Ridge, Two Mile Coppice and the conservation area near Horselynch Plantation being created as part of the relief road project.

The bridge will be completed ‘off line’ and then connected to the new alignment of Lorton Lane.

Improving access

This is one of the farm tracks, footpaths and bridleways being constructed at the moment across the scheme.

This farm track ensures access to fields around West Farm, and links to the footpath that joins the South West Coast Path to the Ridgeway bridge.