You may have seen the news that Worthy Road is being closed starting next week, for gas main replacement work by SGN (Southern Gas Networks). The closure will be on the section between School Lane and Bedfield Lane.
Worthy Road is an important route for cycling between Winchester and the Worthys – there isn’t really any practical alternative if you’re heading for the city centre or the station, and it’s a popular way out of town for cycling clubs too.
So we got in touch with SGN to check what the arrangements for cycling access will be.
They say there will be access past the works for pedestrians and cyclists at all times during the works. It may be quite narrow, so they ask cyclists to dismount and walk if possible.
It sounds like both ends of Pudding Lane will be accessible most of the time, so that may be way round the roadworks: it’ll be closed to motor vehicles but they expect to maintain vehicle access for residents of Pudding Lane as well as through access for cyclists and pedestrians.
Coming out of Winchester, branching off left onto School Lane may be another option: it takes you across to Springvale Road (beware the steep descent to the t-junction at the Springvale Road end). Again it’ll be marked as closed to prevent motorists using it as a rat run, but SGN expect it to remain open to for residential access, walkers and cyclists.
The manager at SGN has rashly trusted us with his phone number, so if you have any problems getting your bike past the works, let us know and we’ll have a word.