A NEW temporary bus and taxi service is being introduced to help alleviate the disruption caused by work on Butts Bridge.

Hampshire County Council has acted to help people to access facilities such as the sports centre and community hospital in Chawton Park Road, while the diversion is in place for work on Butts Bridge.

The council has set up a temporary taxishare scheme which will start when the diversions come into play from tomorrow.

The diversion routes are needed to support the closure of the stretch of the A339 across the top of The Butts, while the Victorian bridge is replaced with a new steel structure with wider span, and a new roundabout installed.

While traffic will still be able to enter and leave Alton via the wider steel bridge and Butts Road, those travelling from the A339 (Basingstoke Road) and B3349 (New Odiham Road) and wanting to link up with the A31/A32, will be directed to use Chawton Park Road.

Remaining two way up to the entrance to the Sports Centre car park, Chawton Park Road will become one-way from its junction with Northfield Lane, out of town to the Chawton roundabout, which has led to the re-routing of the No64 bus service.

There will be two-way access from the A31 but only for residents living in Northfield Lane. There will be no access in this direction to Alton Sports Centre.

For the duration of the work, expected to take at least six months, all but one of the Stagecoach bus routes accessing Alton from the south will travel via the A31 and Butts Road, not via Chawton Park Road.

Buses travelling south from Alton town centre will also go via Butts Road and the A31, except for the No38 service, which will travel via Ackender Road, the B3349, Whitedown Lane and Chawton Park Road to reach Chawton and then continue its journey.

Those wishing to travel by bus to or from the Chawton Park Road area are advised to join services at Butts Road or the reinstated bus stops near the Chawton roundabout on the A31.

In addition, Hampshire County Council has put in place a temporary bus replacement and taxi share service which will operate on weekdays from the sports centre and the community hospital in Chawton Park Road.

Pre-booked passengers can travel to Alton High Street (stop C) with journeys into town departing Chawton Park Road at 9am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm.

The service costs £1.60 one way unless you hold a concessionary bus pass, when it is free.

To book, contact Cresta Coaches on 01962 773236 or email [email protected].