Next phase of water pipe project to begin

A key section of South East Water’s 11-kilometre-long water pipe project in Hampshire is set to begin in July.

The company will be installing new water main around the roundabout at the junction of Elvetham Heath Way and Fleet Road and into Elvetham Heath Way.

Work was planned to take place earlier this year using temporary traffic lights but progress was halted due to traffic and safety concerns.

Matthew Cooper, Project Manager, said: “As you will be aware, we postponed our work on the roundabout of Elvetham Heath Way and Fleet Road due to concerns over the build-up of traffic the temporary lights were causing.

“This section of work will now take place between 25 July and 5 August under a road closure.”

To keep the community and passing motorists safe, the railway bridge on Fleet Road will be closed between the two roundabouts entirely during this time.

Traffic will be able to go from Fleet Road to Elvetham Heath Way, towards Morrisons, and vice versa. This will be managed using temporary two-way traffic lights which will be controlled manually during peak times.

A clearly-signed diversion route for motorists will be in place and can be seen via the company’s dedicated webpage, southeastwater.co.uk/fleet.

Heavy goods vehicle drivers will need to follow an alternative route in order to complete their journeys safely.

Matthew continued: “This work, which forms part of our £11 million investment into improving our network between Fleet and Odiham, has been intentionally planned during the school holidays to minimise disruption to the local community.

“Our team will also be working seven days per week and working extended hours to ensure we can complete this phase of the project as quickly and safely as possible.

“We know National Highways also has a project in the area at the same time so please be assured we are working closely with them to minimise disruption to the local community.”

The project forms part of South East Water’s pledge to invest more than £430 million into its network between 2020 and 2025.