Extra money for Stubbington Bypass
It's to cover soaring construction costs
Almost three million pounds will be spent to ensure the construction of a new bypass gets over the finish line.
The Stubbington Bypass, which will run from Gosport Road to Titchfield Road, with a new junction on the A27, has been under construction since January 2020 and is due to be completed in the next few months – though an exact date has not been confirmed.
Now, as construction costs continue to rise, Hampshire County Council has committed an additional £2.7m to the project – taking the total cost of the bypass to £41.9m.
At Hampshire County Council’s budget meeting last week (Thursday, February 17), the money was confirmed via the council’s new capital programme.
Conservative representative for Bridgemary, Cllr Stephen Philpott, said: "I support the recommendation, which ensured the delivery of the Stubbington Bypass – which is in my neck of the woods, although not my division.
"It’s regrettable that an additional £2.7m is required, but the scheme is of such importance to Gosport, Fareham and the rest of southern Hampshire.
"The Stubbington Bypass is a very welcome addition to our highways network, but I am concerned that we might need a plan B in due course; I believe any benefit of the infrastructure spending will be endangered by future housing requirements."
The spending increase will be funded funded by a mix of Section 106 contributions, capital asset valuation of amenity trees (CAVAT) funds from the The London Tree Officers Association, savings from Eclipse Busway scheme and local transport plan funding, according to council officers.
Construction of the bypass is being carried out by BAM Nuttall, and the company has been updating residents on its progress via a monthly newsletter.
In this month’s newsletter (February) the company confirmed that traffic signals and drainage works are in the process of being completed.
Once those are done, the company needs to do a final resurfacing all the way along the bypass and install the last few traffic signs.
As per the initial plans there is also some landscaping work to be done, with trees set to be planted along the side of the road.
Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage put the ceremonial first spade into the ground for the project, and says the extra cash is money well spent.
She said: "The Stubbington Bypass will offer a major boost to the economy of the Gosport economy and improve the lives of local people.
"It represents a great investment for Hampshire County Council."