Proposed improvements to B3047 for cyclists and walkers.

It is proposed by Hampshire County Council, Sustrans (Sustainable Transport Charity) and the South Downs Joint Committee (SDJC) to improve a section of the B3027 between the Ovington and Tichborne road junctions for cyclists and walkers on the Winchester side of Alresford.

One of Sustrans main projects is the implementation of the National Cycle Network (NCN) across the whole Country. In Hampshire, NCN route 23 currently runs from Reading to Basingstoke, splitting at Medstead and continuing to both Alton and Alresford. The next phase is to continue the route from Alresford to Winchester, but there is currently a safety issue for cyclists and walkers trying to cross the B3047 and negotiating traffic which is either leaving or approaching the A31.

the SDJC would also like to promote a circular route for cyclists in the Alresford area of the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which would mean cyclists negotiating traffic at the same road. Further to this, it is also the proposed route of the National Byway, a series of national cycle routes which use minor roads. Once across this road, the routes continue along minor roads, via Ovington and Easton to Winchester.

The proposal for cyclists and walkers to safely cross the B3047 involves the implementation of a shared two-way cycle track on the Tichborne side of the road. The proposed path, coloured yellow on the map, will only be two metres wide to minimise visual intrusion although there will also be a half metre wide separation kerb from the road for safety reasons. Some very small blue regulatory and direction signs will also be required. To provide the cycle track will also require narrowing the existing road carriageway and this will be accommodated by removing some of the central white line hatching. A central, wide refuge island will be located in the centre of the road adjacent to the Ovington Road junction.

Consideration has been given to locating the path on the opposite side of the road but has been rejected because of the steepness of the bank on that side of the road. Whilst the new path could be sited on a portion of the existing road undertaking this would severly change the camber of the road at the centre which would entail rebuilding the existing road between the Ovington Junction and the cross roads at considerable expense. Bearing in mind this project is being funded from outside existing HCC funds this would render the project unaffordable.

Following representations from the Town Council, HCC have agreed to look at providing an additional footpath, coloured green on the map, and a safe crossing on the Alresford side of the Tichborne/Itchen Abbas road junction to link up with the existing footpath on the opposite side of the road. Also no provison had been made for the existing bus stop and following discussions HCC will be looking to revise the proposal to allow for the new path to be accommadated whilst allowing the bus to stop without impeding the traffic on this busy road.