Civic Centre Junction update

Works to replace the failed traffic signals at Civic Centre Junction are set to start on Monday 4 November

Funded by the Department for Transport, Southampton City Council will be working with their highways partner Balfour Beatty to excavate and replace the underground cables serving the junction as well as the signal lights and internal electrical systems.

We appreciate that the current temporary lights are impacting peoples’ journeys and particularly bus journeys and therefore we are aiming to replace the signals as quickly as possible. These works are expected to take approximately seven weeks and will be undertaken with a combination of daytime and night-time working to minimise disruption and complete the replacements as safely, quickly and efficiently as can be achieved.

As shown in the map above, lane restrictions and temporary traffic signals will be in place throughout to ensure the safety of all road users. Staff will be on site during peak hours to help aid traffic movements, and we will always facilitate emergency vehicles throughout.

There will be a closure in place on the two centre lanes of Havelock Road, between Western Esplanade and Portland Terrace. By closing this section, we anticipate that Civic Centre Junction will function more efficiently for the other arms, which comprise the majority of journeys. This will mean that arriving from:

• Civic Centre Road, vehicles will only be able to turn left into Portland Terrace, or go straight on to Western Esplanade
• Portland Terrace, vehicles will only be able to turn left on to Western Esplanade, or right on to Civic Centre Road
• Western Esplanade, vehicles will only be able to turn left on to Havelock Road, or go straight on to Civic Centre Road
• Havelock Road, vehicles will only be able to turn left on to Civic Centre Road or right on to Western Esplanade

Vehicles travelling from Western Esplanade and Havelock Road will not be able to enter Portland Terrace from this direction and equally vehicles travelling from Civic Centre Road or Portland Terrace will not be able to enter Havelock Road.

Pedestrian routes across the junction will be maintained.

To access Havelock Road or Portland Terrace, there will instead be a diversion route using Western Esplanade and Civic Centre Road respectively.

Our dedicated webpage will be updated with further information in due course.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:

”We appreciate the disruption being experienced and are working hard with partners to minimise the impact it will have, both by starting the replacement work as soon as possible and by closing the centre part of the junction to allow the more used routes to flow for longer at a time.

“We would like to thank drivers, bus passengers and pedestrians for their patience while the works are ongoing and ask that people give themselves more time to make their journeys.”