Ringwood Road, Poole (Hunt Road to Mountbatten roundabout)

Major work on bus, walking, cycling and road improvements including resurfacing along Ringwood Road between Hunt Road (Parkstone) and Mountbatten roundabout (Alderney/West Howe) started on 2 September 2024. It forms part of a sustainable travel route planned between Poole, Ferndown and Wimborne which includes the new improvements on Wimborne Road, Leigh Road and Ringwood Road in Ferndown and St Mary’s Road in Poole.

What's planned

• A new northbound bus lane between St Clements Road and Old Wareham Road roundabout
• A new southbound bus lane from Mannings Heath Mini Roundabouts to Old Wareham Road roundabout
• 4.5km of road resurfacing from Hunt Road to Mountbatten roundabout
• Improving 1.8km of pavements on the western side of Ringwood Road between Hunt Road junction and Mountbatten roundabout including upgrading sections into shared paths for walking, wheeling and cycling
• A new 2.7km two-way cycle track on the eastern side of Ringwood Road, between Hunt Road junction and Mountbatten roundabout. This includes sections of shared path for walking, wheeling and cycling
• New and improved toucan, zebra and parallel crossings to enable east-west connectivity for people walking, cycling and wheeling along Ringwood Road. Click here for further details
• Major improvements to Sea View Road junction to improve the traffic flow for buses and motorised vehicles. A new dedicated bi-directional cycle crossing and new pedestrian crossing will be installed across Sea View Road
• 23 side road junction upgrades including improvements to bus, walking and cycling provision
• Upgraded bus stop shelters at 19 locations; five bus stops relocated. Click here for further details
• Improvements to Old Wareham Road roundabout including wider footways and new crossings on all arms
• Removal of dedicated right-turn filter lanes into Balston Road and Albion Close. Vehicles will still be able to turn right
• Removal of dedicated right-turn filter lane into Rossmore Road. The northbound lane will be widened so that vehicles can still turn right and northbound traffic able to pass stationary right-turning traffic
• Several trees will be removed between Old Wareham Road roundabout and Sea View Road. New and additional trees and landscaping will be planted as part of the final layout.

To support the improvements, the speed limit between Alderney roundabout and Mountbatten roundabout has been reduced to 30 mph to improve safety.

Detailed plans:

• Hunt Road – Sea View Road
• Sea View Road - Mannings Heath Mini Roundabout
• Mannings Heath mini roundabouts – Mountbatten Roundabout

Detailed general arrangement drawings of the plans on Ringwood Road:

• Hunt Road - Sea View Road
• Sea View Road - Mannings Heath Mini Roundabouts
• Mannings Heath Mini Roundabouts - Mountbatten Roundabout 

For any problems interpreting the plans please email transformingtravel@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

Full details of the traffic regulation order process and outcomes for these improvements are available here.

The improvements require changes to parking, with double yellow lines being introduced outside the following property numbers:

• 142 – 160 Ringwood Road
• 182- 200 Ringwood Road
• 206 – 232 Ringwood Road
• 244 - 252 Ringwood Road
• 47 – 59 Ringwood Road, and up to the bus stop on the eastern side

This will result in the removal of approximately 30 parking spaces (using BCP Council’s standard measure for parking lengths).

The introduction of these parking restrictions was subject to the outcome of a separate legal process. We invited comments on the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) earlier in June 2022 and the TRO was recommended for approval in October 2022. Full details of the traffic regulation order process and outcomes.

Surveys were undertaken reviewing the parking levels in the area, over one week in April 2021 and 2022, at the same morning, lunchtime, and evening periods. The average occupancy across all roads surveyed was 47% in April 2021, and 45% in April 2022. These results suggest that there is available parking in adjacent and nearby roads to accommodate the loss of the parking spaces. View the results.

Traffic management

The work will be undertaken in phases to minimise disruption.

Phase one

The first phase of work on Ringwood Road takes place from 2 September 2024 until spring 2025 at two locations on Ringwood Road: between Sea View Road and Balston Road; and between Alderney Roundabout and Mountbatten Roundabout, and is anticipated to complete in spring 2025.

Sea View Road to Balston Road

• 17 September 2024 to 18 February 2025: Sea View Road will be closed to northbound traffic at its junction with Ringwood Road. You will not be able to exit from Sea View Road onto Ringwood Road, in any direction. No right turn from Ringwood Road into Sea View Road. Southbound traffic on Ringwood Road will still be able to turn left into Sea View Road. Diversion route:

• 17 to 24 September; 22 November to 2 December: temporary two-way traffic lights at the Sea View Road / Ringwood Road junction
• 2 December 2024 to 18 February 2025: temporary carriageway narrowing on Ringwood Road between Balston Road and Haskells Recreation Ground – 2-way traffic flow maintained
• The existing traffic signals at the Ringwood Road/Sea View Road junction will be not in operation while the above temporary traffic measures are in place. A temporary controlled pedestrian crossing point across Ringwood Road will be installed during this period.

Access for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained throughout the works.

Bus diversion route during Sea View Road/Ringwood Road junction closure

Bus routes 14, 16 and 17, which would usually travel north along Sea View Road will now be diverted via Ringwood Road and not serve Constitution Hill Road or Sea View Road. Travelling southbound to Poole the 14, 16 and 17 will stick to the normal route. 

Route 18, and school routes 415 and 703 will divert (in both directions) via Constitution Hill and Ringwood Road to Dorchester Road. Affected bus stops will have information about the nearest bus stop for the route you are trying to access. For more information please visit the MoreBus website https://www.morebus.co.uk

Alderney Roundabout to Mountbatten Roundabout

A series of lane closures are planned from September 2024 to February 2025.

• 9 September to 30 October: northbound single lane closure
• 30 October to 16 January: southbound single lane closure; from 11 November onwards whenever possible these will be removed to allow two-lane traffic flow
• 11 November to 16 January: some short term ad-hoc single northbound lane closures may be required
• 17 January 2025 to 6 February 2025: northbound and southbound single lane closures
• Further closures will be needed at the end of the work for road resurfacing – details will be shared in the new year

Diversion routes will be signposted. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained throughout the works.

A further public information drop-in event about the planned work and construction phases will be held from 2pm to 7pm on Wednesday 18 September at The Newtown, 374 Ringwood Road, Poole BH12 3LT.

Public consultation

Public consultation on these proposals was undertaken May – June 2021. For the consultation, the proposals were split into three sub-sections: (Fernside Road – Sea View Road; Sea View Road – Mannings Heath mini roundabouts; Mannings Heath mini roundabouts – Mountbatten roundabout).

All responses were analysed and helped shape the final scheme designs. Reports summarising the results of the consultation are available here:

• Fernside Road – Sea View Road
• Sea View Road – Mannings Heath mini roundabouts
• Mannings Heath mini roundabouts – Mountbatten roundabout

A report detailing our responses to issues raised is available here.

A public information event about the proposals was held on 8 June 2022.