A31 Ringwood road fully reopens after £30m widening scheme

The £30m project has been completed on schedule

A main route has fully reopened after 11 months of work to replace two bridges and widen the carriageway.

National Highways said the £30m scheme on a section of the A31 westbound near Ringwood would improve safety and reduce delays.

The road has been widened from two to three lanes and one of three entry slips has been closed.

But Ringwood trader Dave Enright said the work had harmed the local economy.

David Enright said he had seen a negative impact on Ringwood since the start of the roadworks

Mr Enright, who runs Nava Coffee House, Kitchen & Bar, said: "It's been a really tough year, the timing of these works couldn't have been worse after Covid.

"The footfall in Ringwood has been significantly reduced and all shops on the high street have felt the damage to their business."

He added "On the positive side, national highways have kept to schedule and it's perfectly timed with the Ringwood Winter Wanderland, Christmas light switch on event." He also thanked "local regulars" for their support.

However, Julie Astley-Weston, who owns the Love to B skincare shop in the Furlong Shopping Centre, said her sales figures were similar to the previous year.

"Some customers, especially from the west, have opted to order online, rather than risk queuing on either the A31 or A338," she said.

Two new bridges have been built over the rivers at Ringwood

National Highways said the extra lane would give drivers more room to enter the road from Ringwood.

It said closing the junction with West Street - one of three entry slips within 1km (0.6 miles) - would also improve safety and reduce delays.

The agency said the new bridges over the River Avon and Bickerley Millstream would last for about 120 years.