Project Status - Completed
- Start Date: March 2016
- End Date: May 2020
- Local Growth Fund allocation: £10,802,500
- Awarded to: Dorset Council
- Part of the BIG Programme
Project Summary:
The primary aim of this scheme was to improve journey times and journey time reliability for vehicles passing through this historically congested interchange. Provision of safer and more reliable journeys, in turn provides more efficient access, helping to support continued economic growth across the area.
Bournemouth Borough Council was awarded £2m to deliver the A338 Package Advanced Works in March 2016, a series of advanced works including pre-design surveys, traffic modelling, consultations, land acquisition and planning approval amongst others.
The first phase of this project was the widening of road at Blackwater East. Blackwater Auxillary Lane, widening and slip road improvements started 3 Sept 2018 and works completed at the end of June 2019. Blackwater West was the final element of the scheme.
The works, delivered by BCP Council and Dorset Council, started in July 2019 and have focused on easing congestion, improving traffic flow and connectivity and increasing journey time reliability at the busy Blackwater West junction on the A338/B3073. The works included:
- Improvements to the A338 off slip
- The construction of a new and more efficient A338 on slip
- Increased junction capacity by widening the road on both sides to create an additional lane
- Installation of new islands and traffic lights
- Improved pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities
- Three-metre-wide cycle and footpath facility improvements on the B3073
- Resurfacing the whole junction
- Installation of a noise fence and landscaping
The project in its totality was completed in May 2020.
View the Blackwater Junction & A338 Widening End of Project Report.
