12:46pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Andrew Napier
A-LEVEL students, motorists and residents are bracing themselves for potentially unprecedented disruption when a major Winchester road closes next month.
Andover Road will shut on April 12 for three months to allow Network Rail to demolish and then rebuild the railway bridge.
The current closure of St Cross Road for similar work has severely inconvenienced commuters, businesses and people reliant on buses.
But the shutting of Andover Road is expected to be even worse. Although it carries less traffic than St Cross Road, it is close to the busiest junction in the city, the five-road interchange of City Road-Sussex Street-Station Hill-Stockbridge Road and Andover Road. Ratrunning through Fulflood and Weeke is expected to be severe.
Among the worst-affected institutions will be Peter Symonds College, which is preparing for its hectic A-level exam season.
Bursar Paul Warren is advising students who live some way away to stay close by the night before exams: “We are very concerned about the disruption,” he said.
“The college is the biggest Alevel centre in the country. Students’ lives depend on A-level results. If they arrive later than 10am they can’t sit the exam.
“Some exams are sat by 1,400- 1,600 students. One answer is for some students who live away to stay with friends or relatives.
“The unknown is how bad the impact will be. We think it will be worse than St Cross.
“Our concern is also focussed on the students and the users of the Lanterns Children’s Centre, because of increased traffic on Bereweeke Road.
“We have suggested Harestock as an alternative diversion route.”
A parent of a Symonds student, who asked not to be named, said: “This will cause worse problems than St Cross because there were clear alternatives such as Romsey Road or the M3.
“Closing Andover Road is going to be a nightmare. My daughter is taking her exams and we don’t need this.”
A Network Rail spokesman denied underestimating the impact.
“We are not complacent.We do appreciate it will cause disruption and are doing everything we can to keep it to a minimum,” he said.
The rail company has already sparked controversy by chopping down several mature trees by the bridge to make space for a site office.
Simon Wilson, of Athelstan Road, said: “There was no forewarning.
It looks like something out of the Somme. I’m not against the bridge work only the opaque way Network Rail is going about it.”
Martin Tod, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Winchester, said: “Once again, Network Rail has completely failed to inform the people who are going to be most affected by their work before the work began. Exactly the same thing happened in St Cross.”
Pat Britton, landlady at the Jolly Farmer pub close to the bridge, predicted trade would suffer.
“I’m concerned that we will lose our passing trade.We’ll keep the students at lunchtime, but afternoon and dinner trade will be lost,” she said.
Meanwhile, there has been an early indication of Network Rail’s attitude to businesses affected by its work.
It has told Mark Teague, owner of The Frying Fish in St Cross, it will not pay him a penny over the shutting of St Cross Road.
He claims he is £30,000 out of pocket since the road was blocked in January. But in a letter to him, the company said: “There is no evidence available to substantiate that your earnings were affected solely as a result of this road closure.
“In light of the above we can confirm that your client’s claim for losses is repudiated on this occasion, and no offers will be forthcoming.”
Mr Teague said: “I’m furious.
I’ve been told as soon as Network Rail pay out anyone they admit liability, and I don’t think they are going to do that.”
Hannah Walter at The Bell Inn in St Cross said she was waiting to see how the dust settled before deciding on whether to claim compensation.
What do you think? Is it necessary work? Could it have been organised better? Leave your comments below.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/trade_directory/