EARLY work on the A325 has begun as Whitehill and Bordon’s road network continues to take shape.

The A325 Integration Gateways Project will see Hampshire County Council co-ordinate improvements to sections of the road.

As part of the regeneration of Whitehill and Bordon, the new relief road will guide a proportion of traffic away from the A325 (much of which is through traffic), which will cut congestion and reduce east-west severance in the town.

According to the county council, this gives “opportunities for urban design and public-realm improvements on the existing A325”, thus promoting the “regeneration of the town as well as the redevelopment of the town centre”.

Walking and cycling links are set to be improved as part of this.

The project aims to deliver improvements to two sections of the existing A325 in Whitehill and Bordon, with plans for both the “northern gateway and southern (Whitehill village) gateway sections”.

Contractors have been out doing trial hole works in footways in the southern section to gain “detailed locations of underground ducts and cables”.

As this has been off the carriageway, traffic has been largely unaffected - though some delays persist as a consequence of road works elsewhere.

The real A325 action begins next year. In February, construction work will get under way in the northern section - where the A325 connects to the top end of the relief road.

In the south, work will commence subject to the relief road’s opening, with the county council set to hold public consultations on the possible alterations to the Whitehill-village section in the spring and summer.

If all goes well, the southern gateway will see improvements in the autumn and winter of next year.

The general theme will be an effort to harbour a shared space, making the A325 more accessible for a variety of users. As such it will become slower - ultimately making it less appealing than the relief road for through traffic.

The county council explained some of the things it is considering. For example, in the south, ideas include planting new trees and landscaping; providing an off-road pedestrian and cycle route; narrowing the road, possible removal of the bus-turning area to create a public open space and improving parking locations for businesses and residents too.

And, similarly, in the north, ideas include a pedestrian and cycle route; road-narrowing and removal of the bus lay-by and bus stop could be on the cards.

Motorists have seen plenty of queues recently, as work on the southern section of the relief road continues and associated diversions are put in place.

Among the latest closures is Firgrove Road and its junction with the A325, which is due to reopen in early December.

County councillor Rob Humby, the executive member for environment and transport, told the Bordon Herald that not only was the end “in sight now”, in terms of the construction of the relief road, but the project was likely to finish in the spring, “well ahead of schedule”.

He thanked residents and businesses for their patience and co-operation during the construction of the relief road, which has “really helped the works to progress as quickly as they have”.