The year was 1981, and Fareham's new shopping centre was expanding nicely. Although the motorway was only there to keep long-ditance traffic out of town, plans to expand the industrial area of Wallington would make existing problems in the High Street and on Wallington's own narrow streets an increasing problem, especially on the narrow bridge that linked the two.
Wallington Way was conceived as 'The Link Road' and built to solve these issues using the floodplain at the levels of Wallington. It started at the Delme Roundabout where a gap had been reserved for it when the roundabout was built, in 1971. That project saw the River Wallington diverted into a new channel that went straight through the roundabout, leaving a dead-end where the river used to meander around the marshes. The new road would cut across this, leaving a floodplain on the west side, where a tiny section of the original course of the river can still be made out. A bund runs along the east side of the road to protect it from the regular flooding; the west side is protected because the water can now only get there through a small tunnel.
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Looking across the river in 1979, before Wallington Way was built. The Roundabout Hotel and river bridge can just be made out on the right, with the houses of Wallington in the distance
The higher ground at the back of Lysees, once sports fields, nursery and allotment gardens, became a long stay car park. The road continued along the floodplains and low ground, breaking up Wallington Hill, before a roundabout with Broadcut, the access road to Fareham Industrial Park that was previously unsuitably accessed from the hill.
All that remained was for it to climb the hill and meet the old road. It did this by cutting across former playing fields and the Manor Gardens caravan site. The caravan site was then moved to a clearing north of the road on a different part of the old Wallington Hill manor garden, although this was later snapped up by Sainsbury's. The A32 then meets Wickham Road at another small roundabout.
The road opened as a primary route but was downgraded shortly afterwards.