Hampshire County Council has given the go-ahead for the delayed completion of the £48m Botley Bypass, with work due to start on the final phase next month.
Kirsty North, cabinet member for Universal Services, who made the decision on Tuesday (28 January), said: 'The Botley Bypass will make local journeys easier, including those to and from Southampton and the M27, by providing much needed additional road capacity.
‘It will also greatly benefit residents in and around Botley village by reducing congestion, noise and pollution that has blighted this small community.'
Cllr North said work will begin on site next month. She added: ‘Inevitably, construction of a scheme of this scale will cause some temporary disruption but we are aiming to keep inconvenience to a minimum.’
The highway authority has appointed Milestone Infrastructure to deliver the scheme which is expected to be completed in late summer 2027.
Milestone Infrastructure Ltd have been awarded the contract to develop the scheme in preparation for construction, with works expected to begin in spring 2025 and be completed in 2027.
The scheme is both late and over-budget. It was originally due to complete this year and last July the authority’s cabinet awarded an extra £16m to the scheme’s then £32m budget.
The council said last year that technical challenges had emerged ‘during the very detailed site/ground investigation phase,' which it was working to address with specialist engineers, other agencies and key stakeholders.
It said at that time, Milestone was developing a target-cost to reflect the design solution needed to overcome the engineering difficulties, with progression into construction subject to it agreeing the contract price and a full assessment of affordability.
Sean Murphy, regional director at Milestone Infrastructure, said: ‘This project will see our team collaborate with the council, creating a fully integrated delivery team that is expected to streamline the project build.
‘This unique approach aligns with Milestone’s core value of collaboration, to deliver innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable projects on behalf of our clients.’
He added: ‘We will support the council’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050 by re-engineering materials to make sure as much as possible is reused. Our dedicated environmental team has already assessed the site to make sure we are protecting local biodiversity, and we look forward to fully commencing the final phase of the Botley Bypass in May 2025.’
The final phase of the scheme will create a new single-carriageway road running eastwards from Winchester Street, a new bridge crossing the River Hamble and a new roundabout at the A334 junction with the A3051.
New and improved pedestrian and cycle routes will also be provided.
