Despite some pretty miserable weather and the theft of equipment and tools from site, work in Gillingham is on schedule.
Night work to remove road lining and set up the temporary road layout for the work went well.
The narrowing of the pavement between Cemetery Road and Wyke Road, to provide an on-road cycle lane, will be finished by Friday 14 February and the pavement will reopen to pedestrians.
The final pavement surface layer will be laid later this month when this section of Le Neubourg Way has road patching work carried out and the refuge islands are installed.
Vegetation has been cleared from Wyke Road down to the Waitrose junction to enable the next phase of works.
When construction work reaches the Waitrose junction temporary off-peak (9am-4pm) signals will be needed so that ducting can be put across the road. Please look out for signs advising of dates nearer the time.
On Monday 24 February, temporary lights will be in place on Le Neubourg Way overnight from 9pm to 6am for material testing to be carried out.
Pedestrian routes
We’ve tried to minimise the number of barriers on site to avoid clutter and driver confusion. These mark out the works area, where construction workers and machinery can move about out of the flow of traffic. For your own safety, please do not walk within this area.
We know that the closure of pavements means that pedestrians have further to walk, and it may not be a direct route, but this is to keep residents safe and away from site traffic.
New crossings
There has been some confusion about the refuge island near Church View due to some older drawings online. There is currently a temporary pedestrian crossing in place and the old island will not be returned at the end of the scheme as controlled crossing points will be provided at the new signalised Waitrose junction. Although this is a less direct route for footpath users, the crossing will be only an extra 40m away.
Signals at Waitrose? Not needed as we drivers always sort ourselves out collaboratively. Jobsworths.
Yes, we drivers always sort ourselves out!!! There’s never been a collision or near collision at that junction due to poor visibility when turning left out of Waitrose!!!
Can’t wait for traffic lights there – much safer.
Hi Karen, sorry you feel that way.
The junction proposals at Waitrose have been a long-standing request from Gillingham Town Council, many residents and local councillors due to safety concerns at this junction. Signalising this junction also allows us to provide improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
Proposals for improvements at this junction were included at the public consultations last year. Signalising the Waitrose junction was generally supported but a number of comments were received suggesting that a mini-roundabout should be installed instead.
Our engineers discounted a mini-roundabout at this junction as it does not provide safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, which would contradict our work along Le Neubourg Way to improve the sustainable transport infrastructure in the town.