WORK to form part of a 13km “green travel route” linking Merley with Christchurch starts in August – and won’t be finished until December 2022.

The works, between Gravel Hill and Bear Cross Roundabout, are part of Dorset and BCP Council transforming cities fund.

BCP Council said it would start on August 9 and there will be a series of short term (lasting a maximum of one week) temporary traffic lights in operation during the junction improvement work which may cause minor traffic disruption.

This will involve temporary traffic lights being installed where Queen Anne Drive meets Rempstone Road, Montacute Way, Lynwood Drive and Merley Lane. Work will be carried out in phases so only one junction is affected by temporary traffic signals at any one time.

Phase one, which will run from August to December this year, will widen the shared use path between Montacute Way and Merley Lane and junction layouts where Queen Anne Drive meets Rempstone Road, Montacute, Lynwood Drive and Merley Lane will be revised.

Phase two, estimated to start in December and run through to March 2022, will see a new shared walking and cycling path installed in Queen Anne Drive between Merley Lane and Canford Magna.

Toucan crossings and traffic signals will be installed at the Canford Magna junction with Queen Anne Drive and junction improvements will be made into Hamworthy Club.

A new three metre-wide shared use path will be installed on the north side of Magna Road between the Hamworthy Club and Canford Arena Way junction and a new toucan crossing will form part of improvements to the Canford Arena Way junction.

Phase three, to run from April until August 2022, will see a new protected cycle track installed on both sides of Magna Road between Knighton Lane and Wood Lane.

The existing footway on the north side of Magna Road between Canford Arena Way junction and Knighton Lane will be converted to a new shared cycling and walking path and the existing shared path on the south side of Magna Road will be widened.

Junction layouts will be revised where Magna Road meets King John Avenue, Wood Lane and Lea Way.

A toucan crossing point will be installed at the existing crossing near Lea Way and bus stop locations will be upgraded along the route between Canford Arena Way and Wood Lane.

Finally, works for the Bear Cross Roundabout, forming phase four, are currently under design, with work expected to start in September 2022, finishing in December 2022.

Plans for these improvements were informed by responses gathered during public engagement in late 2020 and formal consultation which ran from May 10 to June 14 this year.

Transport minister, Baroness Vere, said: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to support this project, which is an exciting step forward in our bid to increase the number of journeys made by sustainable modes of transport in South East Dorset.

“It will level up the transport in the area by making journeys quicker, easier and greener.”

Councillor Mike Greene, portfolio holder for transport and sustainability at BCP Council, said: “I’m delighted to see this ambitious work between Gravel Hill and Bear Cross get underway - it forms an important part of a continuous green travel route that will eventually link north Poole in the west with Christchurch in the east.

“The Transforming Cities Fund investment in sustainable infrastructure is all about giving people choices about how they get to and from work, education and leisure. Providing safe and quick ways of getting around locally be it by bus, bike or walking has to be a good thing.”