Current highway design projects

This is where you will find details of our current highway design projects.

Albert Road, Kings Theatre

The aim of this scheme is to improve the aesthetic appearance of the area to help promote local businesses and the King’s Theatre, the original designs being started back in 2007. The construction will take place in four sections, which will overlap as one section nears completion. Construction work on this scheme started on Monday 14 July 2008 at the northeastern section of the works, with the drainage pipes and gulley’s being initially laid, followed by the kerb line.

The final design includes:

1. Re-aligned zebra crossing with tactiles for the visually impaired, by the site of the existing one.
2. New ‘black fleck’ kerb line, which widens the pedestrian pavement. The kerb will be laid at 5mm above the road surface. Recycled kerbs from the excavation will be used to tie the widened pavement into the existing kerb line at the western extremity of the scheme.
3. New tarmac pavements with two differing streetprint designs imprinted onto it. The scheme uses a total of 3 pavement colours, light and dark grey interspersed with the occasional red square. The light and dark grey will be separated by a 3 course wavy line of setts, the shop frontages will be laid with a 3-course straight line of the same setts.
4. New drainage under the highways, to reduce the flooding potential of this area.
5. New site specific bollards (some red, some stainless steel finish) to prevent parking on the kerbs.
6. Repositioned street lighting columns closer to the new kerb line.
7. New cycle stands.
8. Specially commissioned feature signage and perches for seating at the frontage to the King’s Theatre.
9. Three new road crossing build outs with tactiles at both sides. These will be much shorter than the distance between the existing kerb lines due to the widened pavements throughout the scheme, especially at Albert Grove and Exmouth Road entrances.
10. New drainage channels, formed from the same setts as the wavy line, from the existing drainpipes to the kerb.
11. Raised service manholes to match the new levels.
12. Raised blockwork to meet the new kerb line at the entrance to the private driveway between the Eastern Eye and Fusion shops. This will also be marked by four red bollards in the pavement, two either side, to help reduce pedestrian and vehicle conflict across the pathway and highlight the driveway to passing pedestrians.

Disruption to local businesses will be kept to a minimum, although it will not be possible to complete the works without closing off shop entrances, at least temporarily for short periods of time. Shop owners will be warned of this in advance, to allow time for any measures they may need to take during this time.

Albert Road WEEK 11

The entire site was made safe before Love Albert Road Day on Sunday 28th September. Excess barriers and site equipment were cleared from the site on Friday 26th, with some barriers remaining for the celebrations on Sunday

SECTION 1 (outside King’s pub): now complete including the new zebra crossing works, but with the exception of the streetprint colouring and a few of the specially designed bollards. This section has remained open to the public.

SECTION 2 (outside Wine Vaults pub): also largely complete with the exception of the specially designed bollards. The two grey streetprint colours have been added in this section

SECTION 3 (outside the King’s Theatre): the kerb line, tarmacing, cement filleting, blockwork and drainage systems are fully installed, tactiles have been laid for both crossings of Albert Road and Exmouth Road. The temporary bus stop at the furthest eastern end of the works remains open, along with public access to the footway. The specially designed bollards and designed metal name strips await installation. Part of the streetprint pattern has been applied, but none of the streetprint colouring

SECTION 4 (outside Little Johnny Russell’s pub): installation of the new kerb line, dished channels, blockwork, tactiles and associated works, road and footway drainage gulleys and tarmacing have been fully completed. The zebra crossing is also fully open, and the beacons new lamp columns have been relocated and lit. This section awaits the new bollards, cycle stands and the streetprint patterns and colours

Associated documents:

  Albert Road improvements leaflet  (0.45 MB)
Albert Road Week 10  (0.02 MB)
Albert Road Week 8  (0.02 MB)
Albert Road Week 5  (0.02 MB)
Albert Road Week 4  (0.02 MB)
Link 11  ( MB)