A354 road
Encyclopedia
The A354 is a primary route in England
which runs from Salisbury
in Wiltshire
to Easton
on the Isle of Portland
in Dorset
, a total distance of 51 miles (82.1 km). From Salisbury the road crosses Cranborne Chase
and briefly merges with the A350 at the Blandford Forum bypass before crossing the Dorset Downs
and merging with the A35
at the Puddletown
bypass. 7 miles (11.3 km) to the west it splits from the Dorchester bypass and runs south. The road now bypasses Upwey
and Broadwey on a new section of road which has some 2 lane sections going north and 1 lane continuously going south towards Weymouth. After the old and new sections meet at Manor Roundabout the road follows down Weymouth Way alongside Radipole Lake
. The final stretch runs across a short bridge over Chesil beach
onto Portland.
The main carriageway of the Weymouth Relief Road opened on Thursday 17 March 2011.
Work is continuing to finish the remaining elements of the £89m scheme, including the park and ride facility, the Bincombe junction and the Littlemoor Road improvements.
The coming of the 2012 Olympics to Portland has played a major factor in making funding for the road available.
December 1987 to April 1988 - a public inquiry was held into proposals for development in the Lorton area which included a new single carriagewayroute running from Mount Pleasant to Littlemoor. These proposals were refused consent by the Secretary of State.
Between 1989 and 1992 - various studies and consultation exercises undertaken into alternative route options and alignments for a dual carriageway road between the Ridgeway and north Weymouth.
1992 - work on a planning application and Environmental Statement for this scheme began.
July 1994 - a dual carriageway road along the alignment was granted planning permission.
1996 - A public inquiry into the Compulsory Purchase and Side Road Orders was held. The Secretary of State approved these orders. However, work on the scheme was never started as, following a Government review of road construction, the funding for the scheme was not forthcoming. The planning permission lapsed after 5 years.
Following the lapse of permission Dorset County Council undertook a review of the previously consented scheme. The previous dual carriageway route was rejected in light of changing policy guidance, developments within the area of the proposed route and new information about the ecological value of areas along the route.
A new preferred route for a single carriageway road was identified, running from Manor Roundabout alongside the eastern side of the Weymouth/Dorchester railway to Littlemoor, through Littlemoor and then parallel with the alignment of the railway to the Ridgeway (often referred to as the Orange Route).
December 2003 - the Government Office of the South West confirmed that this scheme was 'Provisionally Accepted', subject to completion of all relevant statutory processes and final approval of Ministers.
September 2005 - a planning application and Environmental Statement for a road along the preferred route was submitted by Dorset County Council. However, the application was not determined as, following its submission and at the request of the planning authority, the council carried out further studies, including an examination of the potential for further reducing the effects on the environment, especially those parts which are nationally designated.
As a result of the council's re-assessment, changes were made to the September 2005 proposals, primarily to the stretch of road through the AONB.
March 2011 - Relief Road was opened
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which runs from Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
to Easton
Villages of Portland
The Isle of Portland, Dorset, contains eight settlements, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton in Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are the other villages in Underhill, and Weston, Southwell, Wakeham and the Grove occupy Tophill.-Southwell:...
on the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, a total distance of 51 miles (82.1 km). From Salisbury the road crosses Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase is a Chalk plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The plateau is part of the English Chalk Formation and is adjacent to Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs in the north, the Dorset Downs to the south west and the...
and briefly merges with the A350 at the Blandford Forum bypass before crossing the Dorset Downs
Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger Chalk Formation which also includes Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Hampshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, North Downs and South Downs.The Dorset...
and merging with the A35
A35 road
The A35 is a trunk road in southern England, running from Honiton in Devon, that then passes through Dorset and terminates in Southampton, Hampshire...
at the Puddletown
Puddletown
Puddletown is a village in Dorset, England, 5 miles east of Dorchester in the River Piddle valley. The village has a population of 1,177 , of which 30.3% are retired....
bypass. 7 miles (11.3 km) to the west it splits from the Dorchester bypass and runs south. The road now bypasses Upwey
Upwey, Dorset
Upwey is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is situated on the A354 road in the Wey valley and has been absorbed into the Weymouth built-up area and is four miles north of the town centre in the outer suburbs...
and Broadwey on a new section of road which has some 2 lane sections going north and 1 lane continuously going south towards Weymouth. After the old and new sections meet at Manor Roundabout the road follows down Weymouth Way alongside Radipole Lake
Radipole Lake
Radipole Lake is a lake on the River Wey, now in the English coastal town of Weymouth, Dorset, once in Radipole, the village and parish of the same name. Along the western shore of the lake, and between Radipole and the town centre of Weymouth, now lies the modern suburb of Southill...
. The final stretch runs across a short bridge over Chesil beach
The Fleet
The Fleet may refer to:*A nickname for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, or for any country's naval fleet.*Fleet Prison, London*The River Fleet, the largest of London's subterranean rivers.*The Fleet Lagoon at Chesil Beach, Dorset...
onto Portland.
Weymouth Relief Road
The project was to build a 3.75 miles (6 km) single carriageway road, with crawler lane along part, linking the A354 Manor Roundabout near Radipole to the A354 at the top of the Ridgeway Hill.The main carriageway of the Weymouth Relief Road opened on Thursday 17 March 2011.
Work is continuing to finish the remaining elements of the £89m scheme, including the park and ride facility, the Bincombe junction and the Littlemoor Road improvements.
The coming of the 2012 Olympics to Portland has played a major factor in making funding for the road available.
The History of Improving the A354 Dorchester Road
1983 - The Dorset Structure Plan proposed to construct the A354 Weymouth, Ridgeway to Mount Pleasant improvement as a primary route.December 1987 to April 1988 - a public inquiry was held into proposals for development in the Lorton area which included a new single carriagewayroute running from Mount Pleasant to Littlemoor. These proposals were refused consent by the Secretary of State.
Between 1989 and 1992 - various studies and consultation exercises undertaken into alternative route options and alignments for a dual carriageway road between the Ridgeway and north Weymouth.
1992 - work on a planning application and Environmental Statement for this scheme began.
July 1994 - a dual carriageway road along the alignment was granted planning permission.
1996 - A public inquiry into the Compulsory Purchase and Side Road Orders was held. The Secretary of State approved these orders. However, work on the scheme was never started as, following a Government review of road construction, the funding for the scheme was not forthcoming. The planning permission lapsed after 5 years.
Following the lapse of permission Dorset County Council undertook a review of the previously consented scheme. The previous dual carriageway route was rejected in light of changing policy guidance, developments within the area of the proposed route and new information about the ecological value of areas along the route.
A new preferred route for a single carriageway road was identified, running from Manor Roundabout alongside the eastern side of the Weymouth/Dorchester railway to Littlemoor, through Littlemoor and then parallel with the alignment of the railway to the Ridgeway (often referred to as the Orange Route).
December 2003 - the Government Office of the South West confirmed that this scheme was 'Provisionally Accepted', subject to completion of all relevant statutory processes and final approval of Ministers.
September 2005 - a planning application and Environmental Statement for a road along the preferred route was submitted by Dorset County Council. However, the application was not determined as, following its submission and at the request of the planning authority, the council carried out further studies, including an examination of the potential for further reducing the effects on the environment, especially those parts which are nationally designated.
As a result of the council's re-assessment, changes were made to the September 2005 proposals, primarily to the stretch of road through the AONB.
March 2011 - Relief Road was opened