THE busiest road in Bournemouth is set to get a clean-up next week.

Bournemouth Borough Council says that commuter route the Wessex Way will be targeted as part of its £1million Smart Streets programme.

Over the course of three days, Monday, November 17, to Wednesday, November 19, parks and street services teams will be pruning trees and vegetation, cleaning gullies, removing weeds, undertaking some carriageway repairs and deep-cleaning channel lines and road signs.

The council says that it hopes to avoid causing disruption by carrying out the work outside of the rush hour.

Teams will start at 9.30am each day and work until 4pm to avoid peak traffic times and minimise disruption to motorists, as lane closures will be in operation for the duration of the work.

The clean-up operation will cover most of the length of the Wessex Way, from Blackwater to the Cambridge Road roundabout, which is the stretch that Bournemouth council is responsible for.

Stuart Best, street services manager at the council, said: “This is a major operation, tackling the Wessex Way, 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.”

Cllr Michael Filer, Bournemouth council’s portfolio holder for transport, cleansing and waste, added: “Wessex Way is arguably the one route that almost everyone in the town uses each week and is the first impression visitors get coming into Bournemouth.

“It is important that it is being prioritised by our Smart Streets programme to ensure Bournemouth’s busiest road is looking its best.”

Smart Streets is a 12-month programme in which £1million is being invested in environmental initiatives and street scene improvements across Bournemouth, the council said.