Dorset Highways work along Custom House Quay in Weymouth is being brought forward to make best use of quieter roads during the next four weeks.
Track removal work along the harbourside was originally planned to start in the New Year but, with many businesses in the area having to close or reduce their service to click-and-collect during the current lockdown, work will now start on Monday (9 November).
Custom House Quay will be closed in sections to reduce disruption and maintain as much access as possible into town and to businesses remaining open in the area.
The road will be closed in the following sections along the harbourside:
- From St Mary Street to Maiden Street – St Mary Street will remain open for traffic coming under Town Bridge, there will be no access from Maiden Street onto Custom House Quay
- From Maiden Street to East Street – Maiden Street will reopen at its harbour end, drivers will be able to enter East Street from Custom House Quay but not be able to exit East Street onto Custom House Quay
- REVISED: From East Street to South Parade – drivers will not be able to enter East Street from Custom House Quay but will be able to exit East Street onto Custom House Quay, South Parade will remain open.
All closures will be 24-hours-a-day, with a signed diversion route in place to direct traffic around the closed section. Parking spaces in the closed sections will be temporarily closed, with Zone F permit holders in the affected areas able to use the Pavilion Car Park.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment said: “During the next four weeks, we’ll be removing as much of the track along Custom House Quay as time allows while many businesses along this busy stretch are closed.
“There will also be fewer cars on the road as people follow government advice and stay at home, wherever possible.
“By bringing forward this work, we will reduce the time we are in the area in the New Year.
“If you’re heading into the harbour area for work, exercise or to collect an order, please think carefully about the route you will need to take as our closure moves along the road.”
Work will continue on Commercial Road under temporary traffic lights to repair drainage and kerbing ahead of resurfacing, which is currently planned for night work in December.
The final phase of works scheduled for the New Year will now focus on drainage repairs in Custom House Quay, removal of remaining sections of track along Custom House Quay and resurfacing along the route.
Earlier this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that Dorset Council was successful in its joint bid with Network Rail for funding to dismantle and remove the rails, which pose difficulties for all road-users.
Since the project began on 5 October, the disused, decommissioned rails have been successfully removed from King Street and along Commercial Road between King Street and Lower St Alban Street.
Previous trials to infill between the rails in heavily trafficked areas had limited effectiveness – showing that a material infill would only last for a short time and would have significant maintenance requirements, causing frequent disruption and being an inefficient use of funds. It also did not resolve the issue of the slippery surface of the tracks when wet.
Where possible, sections of track are being kept in place to preserve some historic element of the Weymouth Branch Line – with a 30m section at the start of the line in Commercial Road and ‘The Loop’ near Cosens Quay Car Park being left in place so far.
A key part of the project is how to retain the visual impression of the rails in the historic harbourside setting – options are being considered of how best to represent the lines in a visual way along the route.
Engineers are working closely with the conservation team to find a solution that does justice to the tracks historic worth.
Of course, Dorset Council and its Contractors will do a safe and efficient job. No doubt some shadow of the former tracks can be put on the road surface for heritage reasons. But it’s unfortunate that the dedicated funds for this work became available during this Covid year, when cash flow is tight for many people and businesses.
Let’s face it, all across the world millions of people walk safely down their streets which have tram lines, so removing our lines is well down my list of important jobs. It is a shame that the million-pound funding couldn’t have been made available to work on updating plans for the Portland Relief Road instead, or some other valuable investment.
(Put this phrase into Google Images for a lovely photo of a crowded Amsterdam street with tracks and pedestrians together: “arn0_ams-lrt-leidsestraat_roeland-koning.jpg”).
Can I pick-up on the last sentence, “Council bosses said engineers were working closely with the conservation team to find a solution that does justice to the track’s historic worth”. This appears to just be council staff making decisions. Is it possible for joe public to have a voice here? There must be lots of great ideas about what we could do with the Cosens car park loop. My bid would be to replicate Swanage / West bay and drop in a couple of coaches, one as a museum the other a cafe overlooking the marina.