Road closures and diversions planned while new Portsmouth city centre bus lane and junction is built - when

The scheme, taking place in Lake Road and Unicorn Road, will start next Monday (September 11) and end in the summer of 2024. Portsmouth City Council is trying to encourage more people to use public transport.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, cabinet member for traffic and transportation, said: “These schemes will make bus journeys faster, more convenient and reliable. I look forward to seeing more people choosing to travel by bus, bike and on foot once the works are completed.”

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Lane closures and diversion routes are planned while the work is being undertaken. Some of this construction work will take place overnight between 8pm and 6am.

Diversion routes will be clearly signposted to motorists and overnight closures will be announced 14 days prior to them taking place. Once completed, there will be a new bus gate on the new route between Cascades Approach and Unicorn Road.

This will be a short section of road which only buses, taxis and bicycles can use. There will also be a route for buses travelling out of the city centre through a new bus gate between Charlotte Street and Commercial Road North, east of Eden Street.

A new tiger crossing will be built to the south of Unicorn Road, with a new shared footway for pedestrians and cyclists being installed between Cascades Approach and Unicorn Road.

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Any trees removed during the process will be replaced with double the amount of plants. It is a four phased project, with the first step due to be completed between October and November this year.

Lanes will be closed on Marketway and Unicorn Road. During the closures, the existing traffic island will be removed and a new junction will be created.

An existing pedestrian crossing will be upgraded to a tiger crossing. Further development is also being done to Lake Road in a three phase scheme.

A new bus lane will be created between the Lake Road roundabout and Cornmill roundabout, while improvements will also be made to the existing roundabout to make is easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

Two tiger crossings – where people and bikes can travel at the same time – will be made. A pair of sparrow crossings will also be created.

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Dedicated cycle paths will also be created, separating them from traffic west of the roundabout. The first phase will start on on the northern side of Lake Road, and will be finished in February 2024. Overnight closures will take place between September 11 and 22.

Temporary lanes will be made, and 16 parking bays on Lake Road will be removed. Workers will widen the carriageway and divert utilities during the project – with new drainage infrastructure being installed.

Winston Churchill Avenue will be the diversion route during this phase. The aim is to reduce congestion and carbon emissions by encouraging people to choose cleaner forms of transport.

Portsmouth City Council, Isle of Wight Council and Hampshire County Council all secured £56m from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) in 2020 to improve travel infrastructure.