Hampshire County Council have unveiled their vision for Whitehill & Bordon’s road network, using intelligent design to integrate all transport in the town and also minimise congestion.
Once fully open, the plan is that the new relief road will become the A325, meaning through traffic will be taken away from the centre of the town.
To help this goal, the existing A325 and neighbouring roads will be subject to changes designed to turn Bordon into a green and healthy town. Changes include widening footways to make life easier for pedestrians and cyclists, providing more crossing points and reducing traffic speeds in key locations, such as the entrance to the new town centre.
Sections of the current A325 will be narrowed to six metres and more facilities for cyclists will be developed, including a continuous shared-use path on the western side of the current A325 and the northern side of Budds Lane.
Plenty of zebra crossings will also be provided to maintain safety for pedestrians within the town and landscaping will also be carried out in order to change the character of the road “to a park-type environment”.
Whitehill & Bordon’s emphasis on creating a smart, green town have been reflected in these plans and when they come into effect in spring next year, residents and businesses can enjoy a town, which recognises how people want to move and is designed to assist traffic and not create it.
The council said the town’s regeneration offered a unique opportunity to design the town’s road system in a more joined-up, cohesive way.
“The old approach to town and transport planning was to build for separate groups, either vehicles or pedestrians…This created barriers in towns, and areas which were often left empty outside peak times. This old approach ignores how people want to live, and the need to integrate all types of travel and behaviour.
“We have the opportunity to rethink how travel around the town should operate, and how it can be made to work better. If we do this right, we can build a thriving and sustainable community.”
The council outlined the Integration Project’s five key objectives: – to knit together the existing and new areas of town, to reduce traffic levels in the town to accommodate planned growth in housing and jobs, to make the town an attractive place to live, to support better health, and to enable sustainable growth.
The relief road, which cost £27million, is set to open this winter and integration work will begin almost immediately after this. The first phase will focus on Budds Lane and the Arrival Square, to ensure the road is safe in time for the new Mill Chase Academy and town centre’s openings.
For more information on Whitehill & Bordon and why this new, smart town can be the answer to unlocking your businesses potential, get in contact or come to the tech hub of the UK to see for yourself.