Floral Clock progress

10.20.14pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 12th Aug 2006

Work to build a new pavement around the Floral Clock on Church Road will be completed by the end of the week and new work to improve the Holland Road/ Western Road junction will begin next week.

The work is part of a scheme to improve the roads and pavements around the Floral Clock and the end of Western Road. On the northern side of the Floral Clock, the council has built a zebra crossing, put in new street lighting, widened the pavements and installed new bus shelters.

On Monday 14 August council contractors will start improving the pavement on the south side of Western Road between the junctions with Holland Road and St Johns Road. They will also install a new and improved system of traffic lights on the junction with Holland Road and Western Road and finish work to the central traffic island by St John's Church. The work is expected to take about six weeks.

Ward councillor David Watkins said: "The improvements to the Floral Clock area will make a real difference. It will be a safer and generally more pleasant place to be. I'd like to thank businesses and residents for being so patient, we will continue to monitor the situation and I hope they will continue to bear with us while this final period of roadworks takes place."

To allow the work on the southern side of Western Road to be carried out, the road has to be closed. From 14 August, the south side of the Floral Clock will be closed for six weeks. Traffic coming from Western Road will be diverted along the north side of the Floral Clock and eastbound traffic coming from Church Road will be diverted via Selborne Road, Eaton Road, Palmeira Avenue, Lansdowne Road and Holland Road. The westbound bus stop will be moved to the northwest corner of the Floral Clock and the eastbound bus stop will be moved to Holland Road, outside the Antique Furniture Store.