TEAMS of street cleaners are poised to give Bournemouth’s main artery a major facelift as part of a £1 million street clean-up.

Starting from tonight, contractors and street services teams will spend three nights clearing waste, cutting grass, emptying gullies, weed spraying and removing any debris from the entire length of the Wessex Way.

The work, which is part of the borough council’s 12-month, £1 million Smart Streets programme, will begin each night at 7pm, with teams working until 4am to minimise disruption to motorists as lane closures will be in operation for the duration of the works.

The teams will also be assisting with the arrival of a Leopard jet plane at the St Paul’s roundabout to mark the final countdown to this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival.

Street services manager Stuart Best, said: “Tackling the Wessex Way is a major operation because of the traffic management issues involved. Therefore efforts are co-ordinated to ensure all maintenance needed, from cutting the grass to weed spraying and litter picking, is done at the same time.

“Each night we will have four different contractors out working alongside our own in-house staff to ensure Bournemouth’s busiest road is looking its best.”

Transport chief Cllr Michael Filer, said: “The Wessex Way is arguably the one route that almost everyone in the town uses each week and is the first impression visitors get coming down to Bournemouth.

“I am delighted that so many services are working together as part of our Smart Streets programme to ensure nothing is missed so we can all be proud of our town.”

In previous operations to tackle the Wessex Way, more than 200 bags of litter were collected and large items such as fridges, vehicle debris and household waste recovered.

The big tidy up

Night one: St Paul’s Roundabout to County Gates Gyratory both sides. This operation will include complete closure of the stretch between Cambridge Road and County Gates from approximately 10pm till 3am, otherwise single lane closures in operation.

Night two: Inbound from Blackwater Junction to St Paul’s Roundabout. Single lane closures.

Night three: Outbound from St Paul’s Roundabout to Blackwater Junction. Single lane closures.