New £6.3 million road paves the way for new Gillingham homes
The 1.3km route will be at the centre of a huge new development
A new £6.31 million road to the south of Gillingham will pave the way for more than 900 homes to be built.
Principal Street, as it's been called, will be at the centre of a huge new development that'll include a primary school, health facilities, sports pitches, play areas, shops and open leisure spaces, in addition to the homes.
Dorset Council secured funding from the Government to get the road designed, planning approved, and constructed.
The new 1.3 kilometre route connects the B3092 New Road and B3081 Shaftesbury Road, with utilities, water and drainage included, ready for the homes to be built by Redrow.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“Construction of this important link road has been a success in partnership and innovation. Through securing government funding for its construction that we will re-use for other housing development projects, and harnessing Hanson’s latest construction methods to minimise the carbon impact, innovation has been at the forefront of this scheme.
“I am delighted to see the road’s completion, unlocking the vital infrastructure to support the development of homes.”
Cllr David Walsh, Portfolio Holder for Planning, said:
"This marks a significant milestone in enabling much needed homes and community facilities. We are committed to providing affordable housing and essential facilities, and this road will play a crucial role in achieving that vision.”
The road's also been constructed using greener methods, like crushing previous rubble and waste materials from Dorset Council.
That created a base layer, which has saved over 6,000 tonnes of old concrete kerbs and road materials from going to landfill.
Contractors used 'low-energy technology' too, so the asphalt could be laid at 40 degrees Celsius cooler than traditional methods.