DETAILS of a massive £22million project to completely rebuild the A338 Spur Road have been unveiled.

The reconstruction of the primary route in and out of Bournemouth will start in September and take around nine months.

For this entire time, one side of the dual carriageway will be closed and the open side will be used by both north and southbound traffic.

The current highway was built in the late 1960s and the concrete base is now failing, leading to problems with cracking and poor drainage.

Design manager Tom Eaton said: “We don’t know quite how long it was designed to last but it’s way over its 40 year life.

“Large sections of the road have been patched up over the years but this has been about trying to improve the running surface of the road rather than actually reconstructing it.”

Preparation work for the rebuild started in January, with the extensive clearance of fencing and hedgerows and the removal of all fly-tipped rubbish.

This means that on September 7, the first day of the rebuild, contractors will be able to make an immediate start on breaking up the road surface.

Work will take place 24 hours a day, six days a week and should be complete by the end of May 2016. 
A contraflow will be in place the whole time and there will be a 40mph speed limit, monitored by average speed cameras.

Once finished, the 5.2-mile (8.4km) stretch of road between the Ashley Heath Roundabout and Blackwater Junction will have a new central concrete barrier and a hard strip alongside the carriageway, similar to a hard shoulder, that can be used by the emergency services and for broken down vehicles.

The drainage will be improved, the carriageway width will be standardised and there will be new road signs.

The scheme is part of the Dorset Local Enterprise Growth Deal project, which aims to improve access to Bournemouth Airport and South East Dorset.

The airport and surrounding land is seen as a key site capable of delivering significant economic growth.

Project bosses are keen to stress that Bournemouth will be open for business as normal throughout the Spur Road rebuild but say motorists can minimise inconvenience by planning now. 

Advice includes changing journey times, finding alternative routes and taking advantage of any flexible working arrangements for the duration of the project.

Council and business chiefs welcome £22million A338 Spur Road improvement scheme

The scheme has been welcomed by council and business chiefs who say the road is a "lifeline" for the local economy.

Cllr Michael Filer, portfolio holder for transport at Bournemouth Borough Council, said tourism is the backbone of the local economy and the new road will improve the experience for visitors.

He added “There is something like 50,000 vehicles every day going up and down the A338. Bournemouth is geared to tourism and at the moment something like 90 percent of visitors come to Bournemouth by road.

“They are the lifeblood of the town.”

And he said after the initial works are complete Bournemouth Borough Council plans to make further improvements by introducing additional carriageways from Bournemouth to Blackwater Junction.

“The stretch of road between Blackwater Junction and Cooper Dean Roundabout is going to be turned into three lanes,” he said.

“There will be one additional lane each direction.

“That will help ease congestion for travellers, particularly those going to and from the airport.”

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), welcomed the upgrade.

He said: “The A338 is a lifeline for the local economy.

“Long awaited improvements on this scale should help deliver significant benefits for local business, especially the tourism sector as the A338 brings so many visitors into the area.

“Upgrading infrastructure, especially the roads network, is key to helping to drive growth and create jobs.

“This is particularly true for any improvements, such as the second phase of works, to support the growth of Bournemouth Airport, which is tremendously important for the area."

Colin Jamieson, cabinet member for economy and growth at Dorset County Council, said the tourism sector is dependent upon strong transport links across the county.

He said: “Particularly in the summer we are predominantly a tourist area and that brings in millions of pounds to the local economy."

“While there will inevitable be some disruption while the work is taking place and the result should make for a better experience for visitors and businesses that are reliant on the access into and around Dorset.”

He added: “We are grateful for the money to be able to carry out the essential maintenance on the Spur Road which has long and well-served the residents or Bournemouth and Dorset.”