A259 Bognor Regis – Littlehampton Junction improvement scheme consultation plans

Improvements to the A259 between Bognor Regis and Littlehampton have been announced and is open to consultation responses between the 21st of June and 15th August. It covers a total of 10 areas, most of which are junctions. These changes are predicted to increase journey times for A259 through traffic, however reduce journey times for side roads turning onto the A259 as well as providing some dedicated bus facilities and some NMU improvments.

1. Comet Corner

Comet Corner is a staggered priority crossroads, providing access to Yapton to the North and Middleton-on-Sea to the South. It is proposed to replace this junction with a roundabout, although exact position is to be confirmed after utility searches are done.

Good things:

1. Dangerous right turns are removed, including for buses
2. Buses have dedicated facilities to bypass queues
3. Fields may become less fragmentated
4. Access to properties remain
5. Provision for N-S cycle movements to be considered in later stages of design
6. Old sections of road removed

Issues:

1. NCN2 increases in length
2. Uncontrolled crossing for NCN2 – Should be Toucan or underpass provided. Since the road will be realigned offline, an underpass should be easy to install.
3. Geometry of current proposed roundabout looks like sideswipe heaven.
4. Bus pre-signal seems to have short lead in, should be extended north.

Other options discounted:

• Improve visibility of current arrangement
• Convert to signalised staggered T-junction – sounds like the best option IMO
• Ban Right turns to/from minor roads. (LILO)
• Upgrade/revise current arrangement to standard.
• Creation of one-way gyratory using Worms Lane

2. Public Footpath 165 & 166 crossing

Currently there is no crossing provision between the cycle/footway on the Northern side of the road (which PF166 connects to) and PF165 on the Southern side of the road. It is proposed to install a traffic island in the road here. This will allow walkers to cross one lane at a time.

3. Bairds Business Park Junction

Currently the junction to this industrial park has a right turn lane, it is proposed to add an additional aux left turn lane for Westbound Traffic. There is no provision for NMUs to enter/exit the park onto NCN2.

Other options discounted:

• Reduce speed through junction
• Upgrade ghost island to actual island with localised single lane dualing
• Ban right turns

4. Oystercatcher Junction

Oystercatcher Junction at the moment is a staggered t-junction with the B2233 to the North serving Yapton and Climping Street to the South. It is proposed to replace the junction with a single roundabout. This roundabout would include dedicated bus provisions to bypass traffic. It would also have cycle/footway changes.

Good things:

1. Dangerous right turns removed, including for buses.
2. Buses have dedicated facilities to bypass queues. Especially for Eastbound traffic.
3. Access to properties remain
4. Provision to connect NCN2 into new developments
5. Roundabout has good geomentry.

Issues:

1. NCN2 has increased crossings.
2. Uncontrolled crossings for NCN2 – Should be Toucan or underpass provided. Since the road will be realigned offline, an underpass should be easy to install.
3. Bus pre-signal seems to have short lead in Westbound, should be extended.
4. Lack of NMU provision for N-S movements
5. The bus’ roundabout bypass has to merge into traffic before going into bus stop layby, can’t it just access the bus stop without having to merge beforehand?

Other options discounted:

• Convert to signalised junction
• Four-arm roundabout
• Ban right turns
• Upgrade/revise current arrangement to standards

5. Church Lane

Currently there is a four-arm roundabout at Church Lane, however it is proposed to move the roundabout West, enlarge and remove the Southern Arm (access from next junction).

Good things:

1. Buses have dedicated facilities to bypass queues for Westbound traffic.
2. Access to properties remain
3. Provision to connect NCN2 into new developments
4. Roundabout has better geomentry.
5. Removing of southern arm may reduce “mum runs” to the school

Issues:

1. NCN2 still has to cross over side road, if NCN2 relocated to Southern side on the Western side of the roundabout it would remove the need to cross over additional times.
2. The bus’ roundabout bypass has to merge into traffic before going into bus stop layby, can’t it just access the bus stop without having to merge beforehand?
3. All NMU crossings are uncontrolled.

Other options discounted:

• Four-arm roundabout
• Signalised crossroads
• Signalised T-junction
• Modify existing roundabout

6. Ferry Road Junction

Ferry Road is currently a crossroads with right turn lanes with a caravan park to the North, and Ferry Road to the south. Here NCN2 leaves the A259 and heads South-East along Ferry Road, although the cycle/footway remains along the Northern side of the A259 to the Bridge.

It is proposed for the crossroads to become a four-arm roundabout, with Brookpit Lane realigned to have its junction with Ferry Road further away from the junction. Toucan crossings are to be provided on all three public arms.

Good things:

1. Dangerous right turns removed.
2. Access to properties remain
3. NCN2 and foot/cycleways have dedicated Toucan crossings, providing a safe crossing of the roads.
4. Roundabout has good geomentry.

Issues:

1. Toucan crossing on Ferry Road on far side of Brookpit Lane, resulting in NMUs having to cross over the controlled side road before crossing Ferry Road, why couldn’t the crossing be provided the otherside of Brookpit Lane

Other options discounted:

• Realigned Ferry road 100m to the east with new three-arm roundabout
• Signalised crossroads
• Ban right turns
• Upgrade/revise current arrangement to standards.

7. Public Footpath 206 Ramp

It is proposed to add a ramp between a public footpath that runs beside the river and the foot/cycleway next to the A259.

8. Clympwick Bridge

There are no plans for the improvements here, however the document does suggest a few options. The bridge is currently in need of refurbishment, so the options are:

1. Cantilever pedestrian/cycle walkway fixed to refurbished bridge (same location) to allow for pedestrian/cycle connectivity
2. New wider bridge (same location) to allow for footway/cycleway and improve access from Bridge Road Roundabout into Littlehampton. This may be incorporated better with a free-flow left turn lane.
3. New wider bridge relocated to the north to allow for footway/cycleway
4. Accommodation of pedestrian/cycle lane through refurbished bridge (narrow lanes)

Its likely to be the last one.

8.5 Clympwick – Retail Park Cycle/footway improvements

This part didn’t make it onto the consultation, and may be included within the “Clympwick Bridge” park. It would see a new foot/cycleway along the A259 with access into the retail park. The path would be 2 or 2.5m wide and have a parallel crossing on the A259. Currently the retail park has a cycle and foot connection to the North East under the railway.

9. Bridge Road Roundabout

In contradiction to the previous part, this would see minor changes to the roundabout with the addition of a roundabout bypass, although it appears to not be to standard. There would be some foot/cycleway improvements, but without the parallel crossing.

Other options discounted:

• Free-flow left turns on one or more approaches
• Convert to three-arm roundabout with retail park access of priority junction (off A259 or Bridge Road)
• at-grade through-about signalised roundabout
• grade separated junction (dumbell or roundabout interchange) – seems a bit over the top!

10. Wick Roundabout

Wick Roundabout is currently a five arm roundabout with the A259 going East-West and the the A284 going North-South with the fifth arm being access to Morrisons and business park. The N-S road will cease to be the A284 once the Lyminster Bypass is complete, although it is proposed to become a B class road (number unknown as of yet).

It is proposed to close the Morrisons arm of the roundabout and have access relocated as a priority junction on the Northern Arm. Crossings would also be upgraded to Toucan crossings and presumed some cycle provisions will be included in the nearby area (likely shared spaces)

Other options discounted:

• Make Morrisons access one-way (in or out) only.
• Reduce circulatory width to decrease traffic speeds
• Convert to four-arm signalised crossroads

Other discounted options not relating to specific junctions:

• Segregated on-carriageway cycle lanes
• Shared-use footway/cycleway on Southern side of A259 – currently its only on North side.
• Upgrading of Bridleway that runs along the coast between Elmer and Littlehampton (829) to provide an alternative off-carriageway cycle route.
• Improve cycle provision on Ferry Road (part of NCN2). This could be either the widening of the existing footway and conversion to shared-use or carriageway widening to provide on-carriageway cycle lanes (segregated or un-segregated)
• Improve sustainable transport links to key train stations (Barnham, Bognor Regis, Ford, Littlehampton)
• Specific Junction – A259/New Courtwick Lane – Convery LILO priority junction to a signalised all-movement junction to alleviate u-turning HGVs at Wick Roundabout.