Almost a million pounds added to new roundabout scheme near Southampton
Officers are proposing a budget increase of more than £900,000 for the Rushington Roundabout scheme at Totton
Almost a million pounds will be added to the cost of a new roundabout being built just outside Southampton – in a bid to stop lorries from overturning
Officers are proposing a budget increase of more than £900,000 for the Rushington Roundabout scheme at Totton.
The increase is due to additional work to improve the footway leading to Parkside, construction fees, and the scoping scheme extension – and also work to ‘reprofile’ the roundabout.
The reprofiling is in response to a safety review carried out as part of the Rushington project in light of cases of lorries overturning in the area. This includes the resurfacing of the northern quarter of the roundabout and the provision of the northbound bus-only lane on the Marchwood Bypass.
Officers will propose to the executive lead member for universal services, Councillor Nick Adams-King, to approve the increase of the capital programme value of the Southampton and South-West Hampshire Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) Rushington scheme.
The scheme was included in the report ‘Project Appraisal: Southampton and South-West Hampshire Transforming Cities Fund Programme’ and approved on January 27, 2022.
In the January 2022 project appraisal, it was approved that the project would cost an estimated £1.929m.
However, inflation, alongside additional work and construction materials price increases, affected the budget.
Therefore, the estimated project cost has increased by £910,000, to a total of £2.839m, to be funded by the ‘Tranche 2’ TCF grant, Local Transport Plan, Department for Transport Safer Roads Fund grant and Capital Casualty Reduction fund.
The scheme includes a northbound bus-only lane on the Marchwood Bypass to allow for Southampton bound buses – Bluestar routes 8, 9, 11 and 12.
It will also provide an improved bus stop on the western side of A326 Marchwood By-pass adjacent to Parkside and improvements to existing walking and cycling infrastructure adjacent to A326 Marchwood Bypass.
The final decision will be made by the executive lead member for universal services decision day and executive member for countryside and regulatory services decision day (July 10).