New signs have gone up in Weymouth to direct southbound HGVs away from Rodwell Road.
In an effort to improve air quality on Boot Hill, Dorset Council has implemented a signed HGV route to avoid this uphill acceleration, which has been identified as a key contributor to emissions.
The signed route starts at Chafey’s Roundabout and directs southbound HGVs to use Weymouth Way, Granby Way, Hampshire Road, Cumberland Drive (Granby), Lanehouse Rocks Road and Portland Road.
On their return journey from the Wyke area and Portland, northbound HGVs will be signed to use Buxton Road, Rodwell Road (Boot Hill), Westwey Road and Weymouth Way.
Cllr Clare Sutton, Elected Member for the Rodwell and Wyke Ward, said: “Air pollution and congestion on Boot Hill has been a major concern for some time, not only for residents, but also for local children and families, some of whom walk it on a daily basis. More active travel, car-sharing and use of public transport would of course also help but I very much welcome this as a sensible step in the right direction.”
This signing strategy is part of the wider Portland Corridor Project, which is looking at practical solutions to manage traffic along the busy route and balance the competing priorities of access to Portland, pedestrian safety, road safety, local access, parking and public transport.
Good progress. Next we need to see all buses becoming electric
Both routes through Weymouth are not great Boot Hill being the most Truck Friendly or Wyke Regis with a dip and a sharp bend up hill and then a roundabout into a narrow road, not forgetting the acceleration to get up lanehouse rocks road. Istr the council has allowed to have houses built on Curtis fields so will they not be polluted.
Portland Road by All Saints Church is totally unsuitable for HGVs and the residents already suffer from the heavy vehicles passing within yards and shaking their houses. The “heavy” part of HGV seems to be ignored. DC is improving air quality on Boot Hill but they don’t keep an air monitor on this part of Portland Road, so they are not actually tackling the problem, just moving the problem from Weymouth to Wyke. They seem impervious to the residents’ pleas for a bit of peace in their houses.
more money wasted who realy cares about a few fumes from a few trucks
Put the roundabout back and get rid of those dangerous traffic lights. Coming down the hill turning into Asda is chaos.
What about St.John’s Hill , Shaftesbury. Lorries are perpetually getting stuck on the bends!
With a Hospital at the top and a School at the bottom surely something can be done to stop these ‘idiots ‘ ( articulated lorries, sometimes with an extra load on behind) trying to negotiate bends designed for the horse and cart!!
Are the signs mandatory or just advisory?. Lorries are still using Boot Hill going up. What powers do the Council actually have to prevent them?
They are advisory. The council has very few powers to enforce the route.