Hamworthy rail crossing, September 2013
Work to build the long-awaited rail crossing that offers a safe and direct route for local residents accessing Hamworthy Park, starts on site on Monday 27 July.
The new cycle and pedestrian crossing over the freight railway line in Hamworthy will provide residents from the Harbour Reach development with easy access to their popular local park.
On-site preparations for the £780,000 project will commence at the end of this month and the drilling of 20 bored piles, to provide the crossing’s foundations, will start in August, kick-starting the main construction phase. The piling works will take around six weeks to complete and will be followed by the construction of the two approach ramps during September and October.
At the same time, the single-span ramped crossing will be fabricated off-site by CTS Bridges and delivered in sections to the site in October. The steel sections will be assembled on-site ready for installation in November. The crossing will take around five months to complete and is scheduled to be open to the public by the end of December 2015.
The works, being carried out by Avon Construction, will take place in a fenced-off area towards the rear of the park, enabling local people to continue to enjoy all the facilities that this much-loved park has to offer. Their normal working hours will be 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Councillor Ian Potter, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transportation, Borough of Poole, said: “Over the next five months we will begin to see this long awaited crossing take shape. The design has been carefully thought-out to blend in with the local area and the natural backdrop of the harbour. It’s hard to believe that by the end of the year, we will be looking forward to the exciting prospect of the first local residents being able to use this new crossing.”
Councillor Vishal Gupta, Ward Member for Hamworthy East, Borough of Poole, added: “On behalf of both Cllr Mike White and myself, I really look forward to the completion of this bridge. It will provide a vital link to Hamworthy Park from Harbour Reach and the regeneration sites.”
Julian McLaughlin, Head of Transportation Services, Borough of Poole, commented: “We have always wanted to provide a safe crossing for Hamworthy residents and with the initial delay now overcome, it is good news to see that the contractor is about to start work. Residents will soon be able to see glimpses of how this new crossing will look when it is completed.”
