A CHUNK of busy road in Southampton is due to close for 21 weeks.

The city council is set to begin works on Coxford Road in Lordshill tomorrow (January 5).

This is to improve bus access to the new hospital park and ride service.

For the duration of the works, the northbound lane of Coxford Road will be closed from the junction with Greywell Avenue to the junction with Lords Hill Way/Lordswood Road.

This junction on Coxford Road will close for works. Photo: Google Maps

This junction on Coxford Road will close for works. Photo: Google Maps

This will allow access southbound towards the hospital, but a diversion route will be put in place for people leaving the hospital wishing to access Lords Hill Way/M271.

All vehicle and pedestrian access to Rosewood School will be maintained via Aldermoor Road, however, the junction of Aldermoor Road with Coxford Road will also be closed for the duration of the works.

Bus stops at these locations will be temporarily closed or relocated.

Resurfacing of the junction at the end of the work will require full, overnight closures of the Coxford and Lords Hill Way junction.

Letters with more detail will be sent to the residents likely to be affected by these works closer to the time.

Explaining the project on its website, Southampton City Council posted: The council identified Lords Hill Way / Coxford Road junction for a Transport Scheme to improve bus access for the new hospital park and ride service.

"The council proposal was unveiled in March and local residents were asked to feedback on the design as well as anything else that concerned them about this location. The council proposed scheme allowed buses to jump queuing traffic when turning right into Coxford Road towards the hospital.

"However the design reduced the number of lanes for other traffic and introduced additional staggered traffic signals. Local people rejected the scheme with 58% disagreeing with the plans and only 24% agreeing.

"The biggest takeaway was that the junction worked effectively and any peak time congestion was due to issues further up the network. Bus and pedestrian improvements were welcome but not at the risk of additional delays for everyone else, the prime concerns were pollution, volumes of traffic, traffic noise and safety for pedestrians and cyclist.

"The council has taken on board this feedback and completely changed the design to instead include a new rapid bus lane or jet lane that bypasses the junction completely, for buses, taxis and cyclists turning left from Coxford Road heading towards Lordshill. The new design leaves the signal junction unchanged and improves bus journey times even further."