Transport Minister opens £40million Portsmouth projects

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer formally marked the completion of more than £40million of construction and engineering in Portsmouth with a visit on Thursday, 10 April.

The new M275 Tipner Interchange junction and park-and-ride and Northern Road bridge replacement schemes were among the first major construction schemes awarded funding by the current government.

Between them they were awarded more than £30m of Department for Transport (DfT) funding, to go with more than £10m from Portsmouth City Council.

The Northern Road bridge replacement scheme, constructed by Osborne, has maintained a vital transport link in the north of Portsmouth used by more than 1,500 vehicles per hour at peak times and providing access to the city’s main hospital.

The new junction on the M275, constructed by VolkerFitzpatrickColas, provides access to land with huge potential for regeneration and is vital to Portsmouth’s City Deal project, while the park-and-ride offers sustainable transport for visitors anticipated to be generated by future redevelopment of the city centre and seafront as well as commuters and special events.

As well as receiving a tour of both sites, Baroness Kramer joined local school children in burying a time capsule alongside Northern Road bridge and unveiled a plaque at the park-and-ride terminal before trying the new state-of-the-art service on-board one of the fleet luxurious double-decker buses.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “The Government is investing record amounts in our transport network and the improvements in Portsmouth’s transport system will benefit regular commuters, shoppers and visitors alike. As well as helping make transport in the area greener and more sustainable, this investment will help support local jobs and businesses and boost Portsmouth’s competitiveness.”

Cllr Jason Fazackarley, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transport, said: “The completion of Northern Road bridge and the M275 junction and park-and-ride are major landmarks for Portsmouth and our overall regeneration vision for the city.

“We’re very grateful to the Department for Transport and their support in these projects. Without them they wouldn’t have happened and with both schemes completing on time and on budget I believe we’ve repaid their faith and shown how worthwhile the investment in Portsmouth is.”