Not just a road re-routing

Andrew Griffith’s opinion piece regarding the A27 Arundel bypass included some reassuring words for those of his constituents who live in Walberton, Binsted and Tortington but he undermines these by describing the proposed bypass as ‘not a new road, just re-routing of an existing one’.

Frankly this statement is utter nonsense. The Highways England proposal is to build five miles of dual carriageway where no road currently exists.

Its preferred route is an entirely offline solution. Along with a new junction at Tye Lane, various bridges, viaducts and underpasses it will be a brand spanking new road.

Furthermore, as, if and when the scheme is completed, what is now the A27 between Fontwell and Crossbush will remain to provide access to and from Arundel town centre.

He goes on to push the benefits of the Arundel scheme to the residents of Storrington and Pulborough.

However, this argument relies on the untested assumption that drivers will reroute to use the new A27.

There are at least two problems with this assumption. Firstly, the ability of the A280 Long Furlong to cope with increased levels of traffic between the A24 and the

A27 and secondly, that the westbound queues at Crossbush do not just move to Fontwell, where there is already a proposal to add traffic lights to one of the roundabouts. If all the new bypass does is to move the queues along, traffic will flow like water through towns and villages to avoid delays, as apparently it does now. PETEEDGELER Arundel Road

Walberton