Major roadworks planned for Southampton city centre

The areas around East Park, Watts Park, Solent University and the Guildhall will be affected

A main city centre road is to be made one-way while months of major roadworks are carried out.

An anti-clockwise system will be in place on Cumberland Place and Havelock Road in Southampton, as work begins on the the northern inner ring road on 5 February.

The scheme will aim to create shorter journey times for drivers, more reliable buses and safer pedestrian crossings, the city council said.

Work will run until the summer.

Southampton City Council said the roadworks would be "significant" for drivers and that some bus services could be diverted as a result.

Money from the £57M government-funded Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) programme in Southampton and Hampshire will fund the scheme.

Traffic will be directed anti-clockwise around the Ring Road

State-of-the-art traffic lights that can adapt to traffic demand will be installed at Bedford Place, London Road, Commercial Road, and West Park Road.

Buses will be given priority to help them cross the ring road more efficiently at two of the junctions.

Footpaths and crossings will also be made safer for people with limited mobility, the city council added.

Eamonn Keogh, the authority's cabinet member for transport, has thanked people for their patience.

"Our aim is to create a network that is safe, attractive and accessible however you get around the city," he added.

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