Work has begun at Rigler Road, Hamworthy on a route linking Poole town centre with Wareham Road, Holton Heath with the promise that there will be just a very minimal impact on traffic flow.

There will be two phases with the first to be completed by late November this year.

The first phase work will consist of:

• Cycle lane ‘separators’ (flexible poles) will be installed along the existing on-road cycle lanes on both sides of Rigler Road from the Eccles Road junction to Twin Sails bridge, to protect cyclists from traffic. During the installation there will be temporary carriageway narrowing but two-way traffic flow will be maintained at all times.
• A new shared use path will be constructed from Rigler Road through the Holes Bay regeneration site between Eccles Road and Blandford Road and around the Hamworthy Recreation Ground.  It will link with the existing bridleway from the BMX track and Hamworthy Allotments which will be tarmacked up to Blandford Close near Cornerstone Academy
• The existing path on Rigler Road will be locally widened at the existing refuge island to link to the new shared use path

Cllr Mike Greene, portfolio holder for Transport and Sustainability at BCP Council said: “What is particularly good about this first section is that we have been able to make use of some existing bridleways and footpaths, away from the main road, in order to create traffic free sections of the new sustainable transport route. This will give a safer, cleaner cycle and pedestrian lane for the users, which will eventually form part of an 11km green travel route to Holton Heath via Woodlands Avenue, Inglesham Way, Blandford Road and Sandy Lane into Warheham Road.”

The second phase of the work will commence next spring and will be completed later that summer.