How will we deliver traffic benefits and the Link Road?
The SGO will be connected by a new link road to the M3 at junction 12. This creates a new route to the motorway to enable people to avoid existing traffic congestion in Eastleigh town centre. This has a major benefit in minimising the increase in congestion associated with new development. None of the other potential locations for an SGO are able to provide a new link road, for a variety of transport, environmental and economic reasons.
The transport assessment indicates that, compared to the SGO selected by the Council to the north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, the alternative SGOs will generate between a 32% and 68% greater increase in traffic congestion despite delivering 17% - 20% less development.
In other words, the Council’s preferred SGO, with the new link road, is enabling more homes to be delivered whilst doing the most to minimise additional traffic congestion.
An air quality assessment illustrates that the extra traffic will not cause air quality standards to be breached due to improvements in vehicle technology. CHECK RE 2020