A KEY pedestrian route between Southampton Central train station and the city centre will be upgraded in the coming months.

Southampton City Council, working in partnership with Balfour Beatty Living Places, is undertaking work to improve the footway, lighting, seating, landscaping and general street scene of Kingsbridge Lane.

The works will take place from this month until December this year.

Kingsbridge Lane connects Southampton Central Train Station with the city centre and cultural quarter.

It will be closed for the duration of the works and pedestrian diversions will be signed via Havelock Road and West Park Road.

For the duration of the work, the West Park Road car park exit onto Kingsbridge Lane will be closed.

Also, for a short period, access from the car park to the bottom of West Park Road will be restricted while the work is carried out around that stair well.

However, access in an emergency will always be possible, said the city council.

City councillor Jacqui Rayment, cabinet member for environment and transport, said the scheme aimed to give visitors to the city a better impression when the arrive on the train.

She said: “Kingsbridge Lane is an important artery in the city, particularly for commuters travelling between Southampton Central Train Station and the City Centre.

“For many visitors to Southampton, this will be their first impression of our city, so naturally we want this experience to be as positive as possible.

“I hope that residents and visitors alike will bear with us whilst these improvements to the street scene are taking place.

“We are confident that they will be happy with the results, making walking through Kingsbridge Lane an all-round better experience.”