Closure warning for major Southampton route as works begin

Work began on Monday with temporary traffic lights in place at the junction with Wilton Road

A major route in and out of a city centre is closing for several weeks.

Eight weeks of roadworks started on Monday at Hill Lane in Southampton, in a bid to help improve road safety for school children.

The road, which runs along Southampton Common's west side in Shirley, will be closed between Burgess Road and Wilton Road from 25 July.

Two zebra crossings will be installed, along with new paving and a cycle route.

There will ne no access to Hill Lane for non-residents from 25 July

The aim of the Southampton Travel scheme, which saw temporary traffic lights installed on Monday, is to make it safer on the key routes used by children and their families on their journeys to and from the four city schools and colleges by bike or foot.

It will also improve links with the city centre and the Southampton General Hospital via a continuation of the Southampton Cycle Network (SCN) route 4, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

One of the features of the new design is the installation of two raised zebra crossings, accompanied by "tactile" paving.

Southampton Travel said that this would "assist visually impaired pedestrians to know when they're close to a crossing, which will improve their safety and reduce car speeds, as the crossing will be more visible to drivers".

Only residents will be able to access Hill Lane between Burgess Road and Wilton Road from 25 July

Other features of the new design include a two-way cycle route, new drainage and improvements to the kerbs.

Southampton City Council is advising vehicle users to plan other routes, as Hill Lane is one of the major roads in and out of the city centre.

It will only be accessible to residents during the closure.

The aim is to make the road safer for children and improve access to Southampton Common