Ringway completes £3.5m Trafalgar Gate Project Portsmouth

The Trafalgar Gate project was designed to create a new route to the nearby naval base, providing a more direct transport link and boosting business at the dockyard. The works would also improve access and reduce traffic congestion. The 140 metre road was built between Flathouse Road and Mile End Road, and included a right hand turn lane on Mile End Road, enabling entry to the Dockyard from outside the city, relieving traffic pressure through the City Centre.

David Waggett, Contracts Manager of Ringway says “Portsmouth City Council decided to undertake the project as limited capacity at Trafalgar Gate hindered heavy goods vehicles accessing the UK’s main Naval Base through Unicorn Gate.  Creating the link road achieved a number of benefits for Portsmouth including, relieving congestion problems, improving air quality, assisting movements of freight and improving access for workers into HM Dockyard.”

Initially the project needed a lot of clearance work including, the demolition of existing buildings and the removal of Japanese Knotweed; a perennial and extremely invasive plant that can re-grow from  a small clipping, even when disturbed. Altogether an excavation of 7,753m3 took place before Ringway were able to start on the new road.

Once the central reservation was cleared, Ringway were able to locate the necessary cables which running under the carriageway, some of which were the main power cables supplying vast area of the city. The project included the installation of two traffic signals, 900m of new drainage, almost 8000m2 of surfacing, 1573m of new kerbs, 115m of new concrete and brick retaining walls and 3800m2 of new landscaping.

The £3.5m work was funded by Portsmouth City Council and the Ministry of Defence and was opened in May 2011, with Princess Ann unveiling a plaque and pronouncing the link road officially open as Princess Royal Way.