The final stage of the Swanage town centre improvement work is expected to start later today, when the pavements in Institute Road are finished off with a top surface that will look like Purbeck stone.
The £450,000 scheme that began last January 2020 and was then halted for seven weeks due to the government’s coronavirus guidance, are now nearing completion.
Vehicles mounting busy pavements
The work is aimed at improving pedestrian safety, following a serious collision in 2015. Dorset Council says improvements to the highway will eradicate long-running safety concerns of heavy vehicles mounting busy pavements to pass vehicles in the loading bay in Institute Road.
Once the scheme is finished, deliveries will still be able to take place with new loading bays positioned at either end of Institute Road.
The pavements in Institute Road are nearing completion with new drainage installed and the base all ready to be topped off with a surface that will replicate the look of Purbeck stone.
Work to start from 6 pm this evening
From 6 pm this evening, the Dorset Council highways team plans to start laying the top surface of the pavements – a practical concrete surface that will retain the look of Purbeck stone paving.
This will mean some night time working, as they will have to close the road to both traffic and pedestrians and they can only do that once shops like Haymans Bakery, have closed for the day.
Once the pavements are done, Institute Road will be resurfaced and once completed the road will be reopened and the temporary traffic lights removed.
Reopening of Institute Road
The reopening of Institute Road will then allow the town end of Shore Road to be closed to traffic, as is usual over the summer. This means that pedestrians will have more space to safely walk along the seafront by the beach huts.
The whole Swanage town centre scheme is on schedule to be finished by mid-June 2020, just as non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen due to the easing of lockdown restrictions.
