WORK on a 13km long green travel route linking Merley with Christchurch is almost halfway through, with a new shared walking/cycling path forming part of the next phase.
The second phase of work on the Magna Road Transforming Travel project, from Hamworthy Club to Knighton Lane, is nearing completion and will be fully opened soon.
The next phase, from Merley Lane to Canford Magna, is due to start in July.
Plans form part of a series of bus, cycling and walking improvements under construction in north Poole between Gravel Hill and Bear Cross Roundabout as part of the wider Magna Road improvements.
Phase two, which will be finished before the end of June, has seen junction improvements made at the entrance into Hamworthy Club – giving more priority to pedestrians and cyclists across the access road.
There is also a new 3m-wide shared use path will be installed on the north side of Magna Road between the Hamworthy Club and Canford Arena Way junction, as well as a new toucan crossing over the access road into the garden centre.
Phase three will begin in July and will welcome a new shared walking/cycling path constructed on the north side of Queen Anne Drive between Merley Lane and Canford Magna.
In addition, new toucan crossings and traffic signals will be installed at the Canford Magna junction with Queen Anne Drive/Magna Road.
Public consultation on the proposals was undertaken between May 10 to June 14 last year by BCP Council, where 172 respondents provided their views.
Regarding the upcoming phase three works, just under two fifths of respondents (39 per cent) agreed with the proposals whilst just over half (52 per cent) disagreed.
A range of comments were also provided by respondents.
One resident said: “These ideas would be a big improvement, I think also more traffic calming measures are needed through Canford Magna, perhaps even stopping through traffic altogether as I'm sure a large percentage only use it as a short cut.”
While another said: “This is madness as there are already traffic lights at [nearby] junctions. This will have a hugely detrimental effect on the flow of traffic on Magna Road where there is already a severe congestion problem.
“I thought these schemes were meant to be designed to ease congestion, not add to it.”
A spokesperson for BCP Council said: “The sustainable travel improvement work along Magna Road has been progressing in stages. The construction work from the Hamworthy Club to Knighton Lane junction is due to be complete at the end of July.
“Work on the next section between the junctions of Merley Lane and Canford Magna is due to start on July 4 with an anticipated completion date of September 2022.
“Construction on the final section from Knighton Lane to Bear Cross roundabout is anticipated to start in early 2023.”
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