Meyrick Road / West Street (Shaft W1)

As part of the Havant Thicket Reservoir project, we are installing two pipelines to carry water to the reservoir and supply water when needed.

The first phase of work to build these pipelines will be to construct the first of a series of tunnelling access shafts, known as Shaft W1.

Shaft W1 is located just south of the rail line in Bedhampton, around 50 metres to the west of Bedhampton Station, on land at the western end of Palk Road. You can view a detailed map of the pipelines route by clicking here.

What we will be doing and when

Shaft W1 marks the start of the reservoir pipelines route and will allow us to build the first section of pipework. Work began on site in April 2026, with our team setting up the construction compound..

Where we are now

Construction of Shaft W1 was largely completed in August 2026, with some minor final work to be carried out to make it fully ready.

The shaft has an inside diameter of 8 metres and is 10 metres deep. Each section of it was formed on site as a full concrete ring, before the earth inside was removed, lowering the shaft depth.

What’s next

Construction of the first section of the reservoir pipelines is due to begin soon, including the following activities:

Construction of Shaft W2

Duration: approximately 1.5 months

Construction of tunnelling access Shaft W2 will take place in the south-west corner of the playing fields next to Havant Rugby Club. The shaft will enable us to launch a Micro-Tunnel Boring Machine (MTBM), which will be used to construct sections of the pipelines underground. Shaft W2 will be approximately 13 metres in diameter and 6 metres deep and will be located within a fully enclosed construction compound.

Construction of tunnelled pipelines section

Duration: approximately 8 months

Once Shaft W2 has been completed, tunnelling will begin between: Shaft W2 at Hooks Lane Playing Fields, and Shaft W1.

The tunnelling work will be well below the railway tracks, roads, footpaths, public spaces, utilities like gas and water pipes and electricity cables, and tree roots. The route has been carefully designed to avoid passing directly beneath homes, and the pipelines will be installed significantly deeper than any building foundations.As with all construction projects of this size, we will provide ongoing updates throughout with more information on our planned works.

How the construction work will impact you

Working with local authorities, we have developed comprehensive plans for constructing the reservoir pipelines and effectively managing construction traffic. Although ever effort is made to reduce disruption to you, as the pipelines are laid you may experience:

• Parking restrictions around construction sites
• Temporary traffic arrangements
• Noise from construction sites involved in micro-tunnelling, although we will need to keep within limits agreed with Havant Borough Council

Construction traffic

All construction vehicles will use a designated route to reach the work site via Harts Farm Way, Brockhampton Road, West Street and Meyrick Road. A map showing further detail on the route is available by clicking here.

Vehicle movements will take place outside of local peak traffic periods and journeys by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) will be limited as far as possible. On average, each day there will be two two-way trips (i.e. to and from site) by HGVs or similar vehicles.

Parking for residents

To allow safe access, parking will need to be suspended in parts of two local roads from mid-April 2026 until Autumn 2027. In total, 10 spaces will be temporarily taken out of use, as shown in blue on the map below.

Seven spaces will be suspended on West Street (section between Meyrick Road and Brockhampton Road), and three spaces at the northern end of Meyrick Road.

Alternative parking will be on Brockhampton Road, Ranelagh Road, Knox Road and towards the western end of West Street. Notices will be put up ahead of parking suspensions, with clear signage in place while these temporary arrangements apply.

How to get in touch

If you have a question or comment, you can send it to us using the ‘Ask us a question’ tool on this page. You can also leave a virtual pin including feedback on our reservoir pipelines online map.

We will holding a series of public drop-in sessions, when you can meet our team face to face and raise questions or concerns you may have. Details will be listed below once arrangements are confirmed.

Of course, you can contact us by sending an email to havantthicket@portsmouthwater.co.uk, or by calling 023 9249 9888.

And you can write to us at: Havant Thicket Reservoir project, Portsmouth Water, PO Box 99, West Street, Havant, PO9 1LG.