Dorset Council have announced that both ends of Dorchester’s Williams Avenue, the junctions with Bridport Road and Damers Road, are to undergo improvements to make them safer and more accessible.
The work at the Bridport Road and Damers Road junctions will create:
- Better, easier crossings and wider footways
- Changed traffic lanes at the junctions
- Modern, more responsive traffic lights
- Shared footways and cycleways
Dorset Council says that the current issues are:
- Bridport Road and Damers Road can be hazardous for walking and cycling
- There are no crossings of Bridport Road at the Williams Avenue junction
- Narrow footways on Bridport Road, a key walking route between Poundbury, the Hospital and the town centre
- Williams Avenue is the main vehicular access link to the hospital, but has no dedicated provision for cycles
- All signal equipment (traffic lights) is outdated and unreliable
- There is limited cycle provision on Damers Road and Bridport Road
Central government will fund the replacement of the traffic signals.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place during the works. These will be synchronised with the nearby signals and remotely monitored to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible.
Amongst other improvements, the work at both junctions will include updated signals and crossings, widened footways and cycleways plus a new cycleway to local schools and Poundbury from the Damers Road junction.
The plans and information boards will be available to view in the foyer of County Hall from 1st to 5th September 2025, between 8.30am and 5pm.
You can also see the plans and find out more about the scheme at dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/williams-avenue
Cllr Jon Andrews, Cabinet Member for Place Services, said:
“This is a particularly busy part of town, serving Dorset County Hospital, key commuter routes and three nearby schools. The current road layout is no longer fit for purpose and urgently needs updating to better support the volume of traffic it sees every day.”
Work will take place in two phases.
The Bridport Road junction improvements will take place from September to end December 2025, with temporary signals in operation, with work at the Damers Road end taking place from January to April 2026, also with temporary signals.
Local Dorset Council Dorchester West ward member, Cllr Les Fry said:
“There have many improvement works in Dorchester over the past two years. While these have caused disruption, the changes are helping to make the town safer and more accessible, especially for those on foot or with mobility difficulties, with new crossings and widened footways.
“I thank residents and businesses for their continued patience and understanding as these important works continue.”
Junction with Williams Avenue and Bridport Road. Image: Dorset Council