Zebra crossing to be installed near Southampton school

The new crossing will be on Warburton Road, located only a stone’s throw away from Hightown Primary School.

It is hoped it will make the road safer for pedestrians and put the brakes on speeding drivers.

Josh Allen, Labour councillor for Thornhill, has welcomed the plans.

Josh Allen, Labour councillor for Thornhill, at the site of the soon to be installed zebra crossing (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “We are so pleased to be soon getting this new crossing on Warburton Road. As locally based councillors we live in the community and listen to residents, and this was one of the main issues [for] people in the Hightown area.

“We therefore have been working hard on this scheme with the highways team since we were elected in May.

“This crossing area is well used by families and children attending Hightown primary school, where the majority of children walk to school.

“So, this new crossing will make a big impact in helping families get to school and the local shops safely and effectively.”

Work is due to start on Tuesday, April 2 and will take place over two weeks as the two phases of the scheme are carried out.

During the first phase, workers will install the infrastructure for the zebra crossing, including the lighting and new tactile points.

This work is expected to take approximately eight days (including one Saturday on April 6) and to finish just before the end of the school Easter holidays.

During this time there will be a road closure in place on Warburton Road with signed diversions in place.

Once the main installation is complete, resurfacing and adding new lining to the area surrounding the crossing will be completed.

This is expected to take place over two days.

The closure required for this will be larger and will only be in place between 7am and 5.30pm.

A spokesperson from Southampton City Council said: “We would like to assure you that we will facilitate refuse collection during this time, however if you do experience any changes to your access needs, or are expecting any large deliveries, please speak to the team once they arrive on site and they will do their best to accommodate you.

“Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance, such as flashing lights and reversing sirens, as this can be a noisy process.

“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause.”

This scheme is part of the Safer Routes to School programme funded by the government’s Active Travel Fund.