Long-awaited town centre enhancement works in Swanage are now complete, bringing an enhanced street scene in time for businesses reopening.
Dorset Council and Swanage Town Council have been working together for many years developing a scheme for Institute Road that balances the needs of businesses, residents and visitors to the town.
The route has had long-running safety concerns as pedestrians frequently found themselves evading vehicles, which were mounting the pavement to manoeuvre round vehicles parked in the loading bay.
This year, work carried out by Dorset Highways has widened both pavements to give more space for shoppers, raised pavements on both sides of the road to full height and relocated loading bays to either end of Institute Road. The pavements have also had new drainage channels installed to help manage rainwater run-off from shop guttering.
The pedestrian crossing on Station Road has been upgraded to a puffin crossing, the traffic island on Shore Road has been rebuilt on a new alignment to help the flow of traffic pass the disabled parking bays and new crossing features have been introduced on Institute Road to highlight the pedestrian nature of the street to drivers.
Cllr Gary Suttle, Dorset Council elected member for Swanage, said: “The works have greatly enhanced the town centre shopping experience for pedestrians and I’m sure residents and visitors will now feel safer using this busy route. I’d like to thank the project team on site for working so hard to get this finished in time for the reopening of our high street, enabling us to shop locally and help support businesses here in town.”
Cllr Bill Trite, Dorset Council elected member for Swanage, said: “These works are the culmination of a process which necessarily goes back many years and answers an increasingly urgent problem. Our prime motivation has always been that of safety for pedestrians and traffic in Swanage’s busiest, most congested street.”
Swanage Town Mayor, Councillor Mike Bonfield, commented: “The planning of these improvement works had taken just under four years and brought with them the opportunity to reduce risk and provide an enhanced shopping experience for local residents and visitors alike in the future.
“Considering the unprecedented situation we have all found ourselves in over the past three months, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dorset Highways and the team of workers who have managed to complete the works within a couple of weeks of the originally planned completion date. Well done all.
“As our shops and businesses gradually open up again, and visitor numbers begin to increase, the new wider pavements will ensure that members of the public will be able to maintain social distancing when visiting our town centre.
“We very much look forward to welcoming everyone in the future to come and see the fantastic improvements for themselves.”
As part of the enhancements, concrete paving slabs have been replaced by an imprinting with the same paved effect. The synthetic asphalt is laid at 200 degrees, so that it can be spread, levelled and imprinted with the chosen pattern before setting into place.
Using this imprinting technique – new to the Dorset Council area – reduces trip hazards compared to traditional slabs, while keeping the look and feel of the town’s environment.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “This imprinting material is a first for us in Dorset and we’ll be monitoring the surface closely to see the benefits of it compared to paving slabs.
“We will continue to innovate within our highways service and look for different ways of working where we can reduce our carbon footprint or make future savings, such as through reduced maintenance costs.”
Work in Swanage town centre started in January but was paused, with the site closed down, from Monday 23 March when social distancing was introduced by the Government.
Work resumed on 4 May following updated guidance for construction activity from the Department for Transport – with Swanage the first Dorset Highways construction site to restart with new COVID-19 operating methods in place.
The £450k project has been funded by Dorset Council, Swanage Town Council and Section 106 money from developers.
For now, Kings Road East will remain with the flow into town, which was put in place as part of the traffic management during work on Institute Road. The effects of this will be monitored and a decision will be made in discussion with local councillors whether to make it permanent. Residents can register their support or objections online.
Very good. The reversal of Kings Road East continuing is much much better for residents living on the hill above Swanage and especially for fire engines and ambulances wanting to get to the hospital quickly without being held up in Station Road and institute Road.
I think that Kings Road East should remain as now because if a vehicle breaks down on Institute Road then Kings Road West would provide access to the High Street section which passes the town hall.
UNFORTUNATELY this does not stop large families of visitors laughing and joking and blocking the pavement that causes others to step off the pavement. Time will tell is the money spent has been worth it, rather than removing traffic completely.
On the face of it, a great improvement but massive safety concerns already when the traffic warden is not around. On Sunday 21st June early evening two vehicles mounted new kerbs to fully park on the new pavement. On Monday 22nd June, around 5pm a work vehicle parked fully on pavement outside Beavers cafe, forcing pedestrians into the new single track road & a further Audi car with top box also parked fully on pavement just along road outside Ocean Blue.
This is extremely dangerous & needs to be addressed immediately by the council & police.
The High Street section past the Town Hall now has to take significantly more traffic. It had a 6’6″ width limit until very recently, and for good reason. Any large vehicles coming from Durlston direction but wanting the town centre or Studland will have to negotiate some very awkward turns and an extended route. Unnecessary vehicle miles in a small town means additional pollution and noise. Kings Road East should revert to the direction it was last year.