LETTER: Through traffic has priority

Prior to my visit to the new bypass schemes for Chichester at Boxgrove, my vision for the way forward was to have flyovers at all the Chichester roundabouts with possible traffic lights on the roundabouts, if they were necessary, at a later date. This would be very similar to the schemes you see on the A27 in the Portsmouth area.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Sep 2016, 16:45 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 18:02 BST

I was pleased to see planners have incorporated these ideas in some of the schemes at the Fishbourne and Bognor roundabouts.

I think because of our experience of the heavy build-up of traffic at the Oving Road traffic lights, that option 3 and 3A would be very disruptive to the flow of traffic generally and I feel these schemes should be discounted. Anybody that has travelled down the Eastern Road at Portsmouth can be aware how disruptive one set of traffic light after each other can be.

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Of all the schemes, except 1A, there are no right turns at Stockbridge and Whyke Road roundabouts and on option 2 no ability to go from the bypass to the minor roads. This will mean traffic from the west of Chichester and that from the east will have to travel along the bypass to a roundabout at Bognor Road or Fishbourne Road and then come back on itself, causing increased traffic flow.

Option 2, I can see would be very favourable to through traffic as the only roundabout on this route would be at Westhampnett. Also the new link road south, I feel will be inadequate to take the traffic and will possibly cause bottlenecks at the three new roundabouts at Donnington, Selsey Road and Hunston. Also people coming from outside the area and wishing to go to the Donnington area will have great difficulty finding a route.

Although 1A only improves the conditions at Fishbourne and Bognor Road, it is the only scheme that allows the flow of traffic at Stockbridge Road and Whyke Road in all directions, as at present. I feel when people see the benefits of these flyovers, planners may in the future build them on the rest of the route. Also I see no reason why the industrial estate road should be changed, as entry at the bypass will be considerably better with a flyover.

At Shopwhyke Road traffic lights, I feel a roundabout should be built with access to Shopwhyke Road included. With a traffic controlled roundabout the traffic lights would only need two settings, one for through traffic and one for local traffic. This would save considerable time.

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I feel planners of these routes have given higher priority to through junction traffic at the expense of local traffic and through traffic wishing to access the local area.

Mr M Ever

Little Breach, Chichester

Related topics:Portsmouth