Hampshire BRT

South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit Phase 1, better known as Hampshire BRT after the project it forms the main part of, is a new road that was built as part of a project to improve the image of bus travel between Fareham and Gosport, increasing bus patronage and therefore reducing congestion on the A32.

History

Gosport's rail connection was closed in 1953, after which the Gosport peninsular became very reliant on the A32 for transport. In the 1990s, plans were put forward to use the old railway line to form a tram link from Fareham, and onwards to Portsmouth, called the South Hampshire Light Rapid Transit Scheme.

In 2004, funding for this scheme was refused, but with growing concerns about transport in Gosport, attention turned to a cheaper solution. In 2009, a £20m government grant was offered for part of the railway to be converted for the use by buses, opening in 2011.

Construction

The construction itself was delayed by about a year following legal battles from residents whose houses back on to the old railway line. Parts of it still had rails in place, while others had been converted to a cycle path. Complaints came in both from cyclists and residents who claimed to use the railway line (illegally) for recreation.

There were also environmental and safety objections now the area was no longer overgrown, and while pedestrians aren't permitted within the construction site or the finished scheme, they can now physically access the route for the first time.

The construction itself involved the removal of several pieces of grade separation (actually a series of old railway bridges), to improve access of the route, and the replacement of one former level crossing with a bridge on the B3385.

As part of the wider scheme, new bus lanes were introduced in the centre of Fareham, and bus priority introduced to nearby traffic lights.

Operation

One of the new at-grade junctions

Legally, the road is open to authorised buses, emergency services vehicles, special forces vehicles, road maintenance vehicles, breakdown vehicles, community safety service vehicles and statutory undertakers. Between 11:15pm and 5:45am the road is closed to all vehicles, and barriers drop to shut it off. At every approach, Rotating Prism Signs are used to reflect the different statuses.

Future

Although no funding has been committed, further phases have already been discussed and investigated. This includes extending the route offline, using more of the old railway, to take it to Military Road (Phase 1B) and then onwards to the centre of Gosport (Phase 3).

Elsewhere, it has been sought to use the principles of the scheme to connect Fareham to many other destinations in South East Hampshire, including the existing A3 bus corridor and the possible closure of M27 J10.

Links

• Transport for South Hampshire Website
• Contractor's website