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Farnham road closes as improvement works continue

Farnham road closes as improvement works continue

BBC News17 hours ago
The next stage of major improvement works in a Surrey town centre has begun. Downing Street in Farnham is now temporarily part-pedestrianised and closed to through-traffic north of Lower Church Lane. Workers will be installing new crossing points, loading bays, greening, seating and cycle stands, Surrey County Council said. But one local resident described the traffic disruption in the town as "appalling".
Farnham's town centre improvements began in February and include pavement widening, new green public spaces and more pedestrian-controlled crossings with two-way traffic introduced in parts of Downing Street and The Borough.Earlier this year, a council spokesperson said the aim was to "create a modern town centre which celebrates its history, reduces congestion and improves air quality".The full regeneration project is expected to be completed within two years. The partially-closed road is expected to reopen to motorists in November.
Safety concerns
Chris and Kate Shepheard live in Farnham and told BBC Surrey that while they can see the improvements, there was "an awful lot of upheaval"."We're very worried about this next stage here because it'll be closed for so long," said Mr Shepheard.Mrs Shepheard added: "It's looking very positive and if you do bring the car in, it does work."The only issue is the pedestrians at the crossings - it's rather a long time [to wait] and people are getting impatient and crossing in traffic which is quite dangerous and I'm worried someone will get knocked over."Another local resident said: "Most people I know no longer drive in because the traffic is so appalling and you don't necessarily understand the logistics of which traffic is supposed to be going where. "Everyone I know has either abandoned going into Farnham or they're walking and I certainly don't think the signage is very clear."The council has been contacted for comment.
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