In addition to a series of raised road areas, the scheme incorporates traffic calming measures designed to slow traffic and vegetation clearance along the road to improve sight lines at junctions.
Councillor Steve Forster, Cabinet Member for Highways and Passenger Transport, said: “I’m pleased to give the Pulens Lane and Durford Lane safety scheme the green light, and it’s encouraging to see that work is expected to get underway later this year. The scheme will help improve safety for everyone, whether travelling on foot, by bike or by car, and will also reduce the risk of flooding.
“I know safety at this location has been a real concern for local residents and road users for some time, and we’re grateful for the community’s patience while we’ve carefully worked through the design and review process.”
The scheme will include:
• Improvements to drainage to help water flow better around the new raised road features. This will greatly reduce the risk of surface water collecting after heavy rain, particularly at the Pulens Lane/Durford Road/Heath Road East junction.
• Upgrades to street lighting to support the new safety features.
• Changes to underground services to allow the footpath between Lower Mead and Pulens Lane making it easier to use.
• At the northern end of Pulens Lane, the footpath next to Tilmore Brook will be improved and widened so it can be shared by both pedestrians and cyclists, making it a better route for active travel into Petersfield.
At the same time, the County Council is exploring plans to bring forward improvements to Pulens Lane Bridge, including narrowing the road slightly at the bridge to help slow traffic and better match the new safety measures. This would be part of a separate bridge replacement project planned to take place after the main Pulens Lane works are completed. Discussions on the bridge project will take place with relevant groups, and while the exact timetable is not yet fixed, it is expected this work would follow the main road improvements, subject to approval.
Work will be delivered in phases, with a planned start in autumn 2026 and completion expected in spring 2027, including a pause over the Christmas period. Proposals to replace the Pulens Lane bridge over Tilmore Brook will follow, after which the road will be resurfaced. The aim is for all works to be complete by the end of summer 2027.
For more information, visit the scheme’s dedicated webpages.