CONTROVERSIAL road narrowing in Winchester city centre is to be partially amended.

The county council, with the support of the city council, narrowed part of Jewry Street and also North Walls, to make it easier to socially distance.

But the measures were criticised as being the cause of increased congestion in the city centre, especially on City Road and back to the major junction of Sussex Street-Stockbridge Road-Andover Road.

The county council has announced this afternoon the 'temporary traffic measures' on Jewry Street will be amended to reduce congestion. There was no mention of North Walls and the closure of Hyde Street which has also sparked controversy.

The county has said it has acted in response to increasing traffic levels as more people return to work, school and college.

The section of the ‘pop up’ on Jewry Street outside Josie’s Café up to the traffic lights at the junction of North Walls and City Road will be removed by the end of this week.

Cllr Rob Humby, deputy leader of Hampshire County Council and executive member for economy, transport and environment, said today: “The aim of these temporary measures is to re-use road space in a way that makes it as easy as possible for people to maintain the social distance required to help stop the spread of Coronavirus while they’re out and about. We always said we would keep these temporary schemes under review, particularly those on busier routes.

“With traffic now returning to pre-Covid levels, we will be making a change to the scheme in Jewry Street so that there will be two lanes for vehicles up to the traffic lights.

“This change will ease localised congestion while still retaining the ability for people to socially distance.”

Over 40 new temporary footpath and cycleway measures have been installed in Hampshire since June, providing people with the space to travel by bike or by foot while keeping a safe social distance.

Funding for all the measures was provided by the Government following a successful funding bid to the Department for Transport.