Two-way traffic could return to St Denys Road at the Thomas Lewis Way junction by next week.

One westbound lane is on course to reopen by the end of this week, depending on factors such as adverse weather, according to workers on-site.

Two eastbound lanes are also expected to open simultaneously.

Balfour Beatty has also confirmed "it is expected that from Monday 2^nd December 2024 the road will have a single lane open westbound as well as two lanes for eastbound travel". 

This would no doubt bring a sigh of relief to beleaguered drivers, who have faced long detours and heavy congestion since the eastbound route towards Bitterne Park closed in early October, diverting thousands of vehicles to alternative bridges over the River Itchen.

The ‘St Denys Structure Partnership Project’ webpage, last updated on November 6, predicted that ‘movements on St Denys Road will return to usual from December 1.’ However, it also noted that one westbound lane is likely to remain closed for two additional weeks while new layers cure.

Altogether, this will mark roughly a year since work began to address the landslip and its aftermath.

The work has involved the coordination of various parties including Network Rail and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, and the discovery of previously unknown utilities at the site.