A dual carriageway on the A31 near Ringwood, which was closed for nearly two weeks following a wildfire in the New Forest National Park, has reopened. National Highways confirmed the route, a main link between Bournemouth and Southampton, reopened on Saturday morning after repairs.
The closure was prompted by a van fire on 9 August, which led to a major incident declaration and the destruction of about 0.6 sq miles (1.6 sq km) of heathland. Repair work involved resurfacing and replacing 2,624ft (800m) of safety barriers and 4,921ft (1,500m) of boundary fencing.
Temporary barriers have been installed on elevated sections of the road, with permanent repairs expected in September. A 40mph (64km/h) speed limit is now in place on the eastbound carriageway, while lane one remains closed on the westbound carriageway with a 50mph (80km/h) speed limit to allow fire services to exit the area safely.