Work to provide facilities to encourage more people to walk and cycle has been completed on Queen Anne Drive in Merley.

The next phase of the travel scheme is now underway at Magna Road between Gravel Hill and Bear Cross Roundabout.

In addition to a new, wider shared use path between Rempstone Road and Merley Lane on the north side of Queen Anne Drive, there have been junction improvements where Queen Anne Drive meets Rempstone Road, Montacute Way, Lynwood Drive and Merley Lane. These include safer crossing points for people walking and cycling.

In addition, bus shelters have been refurbished and improved with raised access.

The improvements, which are funded by the south east Dorset Transforming Cities Fund (TCF1) programme, will form part of the new 13km green travel route between Merley and Christchurch. Work currently underway on Whitelegg Way also forms part of this route.

Cllr Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for Transport and Sustainability said: “It is really pleasing to see this project making good progress and finishing on time. We are one of the most traffic congested areas in the country and simply building more roads will only attract more traffic, more congestion and more pollution. We have to invest in infrastructure for alternative, green and healthy forms of travel to help us reduce congestion and free up our clogged road network. The Transforming Cities Fund programme, mostly funded from central government, offers us the chance to make this investment for the future.”

Work is now underway on the next section of the project, which will continue the new cycle, walking and bus service facilities along Magna Road, between the Hamworthy Club and Knighton Lane. The work is expected to complete by March.

This section of works will include:

• Junction improvements at the entrance into Hamworthy Club, improving crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists across the access road
• A new 3m-wide shared use path on the north side of Magna Road between the Hamworthy Club and Canford Arena Way junction (by the Canford Magna Garden Centre)
• The existing footway on the north side of Magna Road between Canford Arena Way junction and Knighton Lane will be widened and converted to a new shared cycling / walking path and the existing shared path on the south side of Magna Road will be widened, creating more space for cyclists and pedestrians.