Over the last two years Hampshire County Council have undertaken works to improve walking and cycling facilities for access to Havant and South Downs College and Havant Station.
The initial stage in 2022 involved widening the footpath along Leigh Road, and restricting traffic flow along the road by installing several offset traffic islands so that motorists have to yield to oncoming traffic but cyclists have a slip road so they can continue.
This narrow slip road is, of course, not 'swept' by the motorised traffic so special attention has to be given to keeping the surface clear of debris and falling leaves.
Similar construction has taken place along Eastern Road, all with the intention to make cycling safer by slowing down traffic that might otherwise be in a hurry to get to the station or trading estate or using these streets as a 'Rat Run'.
These traffic 'Calming' measures have the effect of making these residential roads safer for more vulnerable road users, but probably don't 'calm' motorists who may have lingered over their breakfast and need to make up time!
In May this year attention was switched to Elmleigh Road and looks to be completed a month ahead of schedule at the end of November.
There have been the inevitable road closures and diversions with some of the diverted traffic using the newly restricted route along Leigh Road which will hopefully settle down when the work is finished.
From the College the crossing of Petersfield Road has been improved allowing cycle crossing without mingling with pedestrians, leading to a two directional cycle track beside the roundabout and into Elmleigh Road where it continues alongside a widened footpath all the way to the North entrance to the Station. Where it crosses Civic Centre Road additional road markings include an early stop line for the Civic Centre Road to give cyclists (and pedestrians) more space to cross and the squaring off the 'T' junction to make it harder for vehicles to 'Sweep' round the corner.
Similarly at the Roundabout the triangular island has been enlarged to make the turn tighter and also give more room for pedestrians to cross.
This work has been done under the Government's 'Transforming Cities Fund' with a view to encouraging walking and cycling within cities and whilst the smooth two-way cycle path along Eastleigh looks like a cyclists dream, the impediments to traffic flow are designed to discourage the use by HGVs of these roads to access the New Lane industrial estate, and reduce the speeds of vehicles entering Elmleigh Road.
I am looking forward to cycling down Leigh Road and along Eastleigh to the roundabout to test it out.