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INTRODUCTION
This website has been prepared by retired Chartered Engineer,-
Dr Bibhas Neogi, BE(Civil_Engineering '62), DCT(Battersea '65), PhD (Surrey '72), MIStructE('68), CEng.
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE - All Link references to individual sketches have stopped working because Photobucket updates have messed them up. Just go to https://app.photobucket.com/u/Gyratory1 and find the sketches by clicking on the image in the bucket or on the A3 album. You can download the image by clicking on the download tray symbol (on the top left corner), then open the downloaded file in Window's Paintbrush and zoom in as required.
Note added on 28 Nov 2021
Two new sketches have been added to show alternative routes to northbound and southbound traffic on the A281 instead of lowering it into an underground route. This would be less expensive but would not produce the extensive pedestrian friendly zone that an underground route would create.
Note added on 16 August 2021
A updated document of suggested improvements to Guildford traffic and relocation of the bus station on Bedford Road surface car park site has been made and it could be found in, -
https://tinyurl.com/traffic-and-bus-station
May 2021 - A sketch showing an alternative scheme for the M25 J10 improvements has been added to the A3 solutions album https://tinyurl.com/A3-solutions. Highways England had not explored this among the 21 Options. It is late in the day but the scheme has yet to get SoS's consent and may be delayed beyond November. 2021 This option should be explored by Highways England in case the scheme is further delayed and thus creates an opportunity now to re-examine the possibilities. A potential saving of £50m or more is possible. The scheme uses tunnels under the A3 and underpasses on the M25 using top-down method of construction. It keeps the M25 slip road traffic separate from the A3 that would continue to use the existing roundabout. It is therefore safer and cheaper with very little disruption to traffic as most of the work is off-line.
21 March 2020 -- The ideas suggested here are given free of any charge. No claim is made for their appropriateness nor for their suitability. It is available to the public and the relevant authorities to check and verify before adopting them. Thanks to Google for their maps.
Note added 0n 19 November 2020. -
For viewing a file created to summerise suggested solutions to Guildford town-centre issues, see https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Opbo82bOEHsteLU7e0dm_N3bKDhpHf3/view
You may need a Google account.
or in (edited on 21 12 20)
https://tinyurl.com/traffic-and-buses
This is the shortened URL of the one below, -
https://www.keepandshare.com/doc11/29653/possible-solutions-to-guildford-traffic-issue-rev-6-compressed-pdf-3-6-meg?fbclid=IwAR2rCJp0XkYuSPj1xHORUOiCSoaQaRj-2adIeWDmWB7ypM2Ao1zjKiqraf4
18 March 2020 - - Proposed Walnut Bridge - The steps down to the tow path could be designed so as not to encroach it. Sketches showing this have been added but Photobucket website is not functioning properly after their update they carried out recently. Basically the steps start much closer to the kerbline of Walnut Tree Close and go down sufficiently with a left turn of the flight to achieve a 2.0m headroom under the cantilever of the deck. The deck has been modified to have fewer beams together with short cantilevers on both sides of the deck. The existing bridge could be retained and a connection between it and the new bridge could be made at the eastern end that allows the pedestrians the flexibility of the paths to either the bus station or Bedford Road.
03 March 2020 -- THE COUNCIL SHOULD STOP THIS PROJECT OF REPLACING WALNUT BRIDGE. The bridge as designed is only 4.0m wide and will carry unsegregated pedestrians and cyclists. This is not safe and the wrapped around ramps could cause accidents at theirturning points.
A 7.2m wide bridge can be built that would accommodate segregated zones and a simpler not wrapped around ramp in order to make the crossing a good deal safer. Such a bridge is shown in the sketches mentioned below.
18 February 2020 --- Sketches have been added for a possible alternative to Walnut Bridge and adjacent Bedford Road car park used as a temporary bus station until North Street development is completed. The councils however have not yet decided on either.
5 December 2019 --- Sketches have been added showing bus station in Bedford Road car park site and access to it from Onslow Street. A new Walnut Bridge alongside the existing footbridge would be for buses only going to the south and the west.
6 December 2018 --- A sketch has been added showing a possible route of the east-west crossing a little further north. This goes over the current Jewson's Yard and sweeps down south to meet up with Leas Road. It goes round the blocked space due to Solum's development of the railway station site.
20 November 2018 --- Two sketches have been added showing possible layout of the A3 widening and alternative to the A31 northbound merge that saves both bridges over the A3 and allow works with absolute minimum disruption to traffic flow during construction. Sketches are in
https://tinyurl.com/A3-solutions
5 September 2018 -- A sketch has been added showing Bridge Street reduced to two lanes and the north footway widened plus a cycle lane. The signals at the Onslow Street crossings would run in tandem.
And associated short term improvements' is shown in http://s1130.photobucket.com/user/Gyratory1/media/Guildford%20Centre_zpsx9xp2nhc.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
Note 17 July 2017 -- A sketch has been added to show the possible cycle routes in the remodelled traffic arrangement that eliminates the gyratory and makes Guildford town centre pedestrian friendly.
(Note: 31 May 2017 -- A sketch has been added that shows a round about at the junction of Friary Bridge and Park Street. This is an option to allow traffic coming out of the railway station and wanting to go to Farnham Road. To improve flow even further, traffic from Guildford Park Road is made to turn left only on to Farnham Road Bridge. This traffic also uses this round about to go west on Farnham Road. Bridge Street is made two-way and together with Onslow Street both are to be restricted to emergency vehicles, buses, taxis and cycles. Friary Bridge is closed to vehicular traffic. Thus achieving a pedestrian friendly town centre).
te: 20/05/2017 --Two sketches have been added that show the possible replacement of Farnham Road Bridge widened to three lanes including cycle lanes and modifying existing supports.)
(Note: 08/10/2016 -- A sketch has been added to show the alteration to the gyratory in the shorter term to reduce congestion and make Bridge Street two lanes only and north footway wider for a safer pedestrian route.)
(Note: 30/8/2016 -- Three new sketches have been added showing top down construction using reinforced concrete for a tunnel like structure to put the A281 underground and free up town centre for a pedestrian and cycle friendly area. Surface lanes still would run for emergency services, buses, cycles and taxis.)
(Note: 22/01/2016 -- Several updates have been added during the last two years. Sketches have been added to show how two new junctions on the A3 could be accommodated despite these being closer than normally allowed in the design. The merge/diverge problems occurring about the same section of the road could be avoided by connecting lanes between junctions to separate out the merge and diverge.
A revised two-lane viaduct from Guildford Park Road car park area over the railway tracks and Walnut Tree Close to Mary Road has been added as well as the new bridges over the river and a replacement of Yorkie's footbridge by a road bridge. One-way movement using Station View and Walnut Tree Close from the exit junction of the station up to the new link over the river to Leas Road/Mary Road has been added.
The relocation of the bus station on Mary Road car park site together with splitting of bus routes that would serve the town centre and the railway station more conveniently have been added. This is independent of the town centre and riverside alterations suggested by Allies and Morrison. If this vision does not materialise, on-street bus bays to replace the bus station would not be possible.
A section was added (17 Dec 2013) in the NEWS link to describe possible six phases of improvements to Guildford traffic.)
Please go to the following link for associated
sketches :
http://s1130.photobucket.com/user/Gyratory1/library/?sort=3&page=1
or go to LINKS section to see the complete set of sketches.
or go to LINKS section to see the complete
set of sketches.
The ideas developed here are not merely outline ideas like some other organisations have put forward. These are detailed solutions drawn on sattelite pictures, thanks to Google maps, and these could actually be carried out with minimal changes (27 Jan 2014).
The latest addition (16 Aug 2014) is the idea of a cut & cover tunnel under the A281. A sketch has been included (29 Aug 2014) to show how this could be constructed. If the GBC's vision as depicted by Allies & Morrison of relocating the Millbrook stretch on widened Friary Street goes ahead, this would take the through traffic on the A281 out of the town centre. The idea needs to be developed further to fit in with other proposed scenarios of traffic movements around the modified gyratory and the railway station. The need for tunnels to take the A281 traffic from Peasmarsh and the A3100 traffic from Godalming to the A3 would still remain for the longer term solution. Currently a single two-way tunnel is suggested here with a new roundabout on the A25 near Lido as the junction. Direct tunnel connections to and from the A3 could be added in the future if warranted due to increase in traffic.
The previous addition (Dec 2013) was the redesigned junction of Portsmouth Road and The Mount. A mini roundabout is suggested with an additional pedestrian crossing and the existing one and the bus stop relocated 15 meters south. Previous additions were (Nov 2013 & updated on 22 Jan 2014) four sketches showing a possible north south tunnel under Guildford town and associated improvements to the A3 Stoke Road junction. Also previously added sketches were: staggered Millbrook pedestrian crossing and suggested enhanced bus stops at the Friary Extension and my proposal for Mary Road car park site as the relocated Bus Station (modifications to routes to reduce number of buses going through the gyratory have been added on 24 Jan 2014). Please go to the following link to start with :
http://s1130.photobucket.com/user/Gyratory1/library/?sort=3&page=1
or go to LINKS section to see the complete set of sketches.
(Edited 18 August 2012)Suggestions for cycle-routes, wider footways and improving traffic flow in Guildford Gyratory and routes to and from the West including the Railway Station. Suggestions for bus routes form alternative Mary Road site and key bus stops in town centre and connection to the railway station .
Suggestions for altered road junctions are recently included (August 2012) to improve Stoke Road/York Road junction and modifications to previously suggested junction of Leapale Road/Woodbrige Road/Leapale Lane. Alterations would cater for traffic exiting Leapale Lane towards Onslow Street also in parallel to the suggested new bus route (connecting with multiple bus stops integrated within the Friary extension) rather than only through Leapale Road/North Street. These are explained with sketches in the LINKS Section.
A viaduct to the A3 from Walnut Tree Close and a short tunnel from Bright Hill to Shalford Road are suggested to reduce through traffic from the gyratory (New ideas have been added in December 2013 that show alternative tunnel under Guildford connecting the A25 Parkway with the A281 from Shalford and the A3100 link from Artington. A viaduct from Stoke Road A3 off-slip to Dennis roundabout is suggested to reduce congestion in Ladymead. ). A less expensive option instead of the viaduct would be a bridge over the river connecting Walnut Tree Close and Woodbridge Road via Mary Road or Leas Road. However this would not reduce congestion at the junction of Woodbridge Road and Ladymead (the A25). These are explained with sketches in the LINKS Section.
Please see added sketches for the A3 directly in the A3 album by clicking the LINK below :-
http://tinyurl.com/Possible-A3-improvements
Photobucket that contains the sketches has been modified to provide improved facilities. To view a slide double click on the icon as before but the description is now to be found under 'Media Info'. Click on 'Image Links' and then click 'Media Info'. (Edited on17 Feb 2013) the sketch (edited on 2 May 2013)
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A summary document of the ideas in this web site could be viewed by accessing the following link, however this was prepared in May 2012 and hence not quite up to date with additions to the website since then:-
http://www.guildfordvisiongroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Gyratory_website_rev11.pdf
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1.The constraints, conflicts and lack of facilities that exist currently could be summarised as follows:-
a.Pedestrian crossing opposite the Friary entrance
b.Pedestrian crossing on Bridge Street by Rodboro Building
c.Footway too narrow on the both sides of Bridge Street
d.No cycle routes into Town Centre from the Railway Station and the West
e.Under-used subway to Bridge Street from the Railway Station
f.Traffic from Walnut Tree Close merging with A322 traffic and cutting across to weave with the A281 bound traffic and thus causing congestion
g.Nearside lane on York Road on to the roundabout is marked for left turn only but causes conflict with the centre lane when drivers ignore this or become aware too late and want to go straight ahead
h. An extra lane in Onslow Street was created to speed up bus movement otherwise the pedestrian crossing would have impeded traffic on all three lanes. However, if this restriction could be removed, capacity of all three lanes could be utilised fully.
i.Town Bridge closed to vehicular traffic although already strengthened and could easily carry 3T loading
j.Under-used offside lane on Friary Bridge and Lower Farnham Road. (See 4b below for the proposed contraflow)
k. The Pedestrian crossing opposite the Friary entrance causes delay to the traffic flow and at peak times causes congestion. Traffic on occasion becomes gridlocked at York Road roundabout and traffic in York Road and Woodbridge Roadleading on to Onslow Street becomes heavily congested.
l.The exit route for buses from the Bus Station is often blocked as a result of stationarytraffic on Woodbridge Road. There is however a potential for southbound traffic using all three lanes of Onslow Street provided the constraint to flow could be removed or minimised.
2.Possible alterations to road layout that could provide cycle routes, wider footways and improve vehicular flow, are given below. In addition, the construction of a subway opposite the Electric Theatre, would provide a safer pedestrian crossing and allow closing of the existing crossing during peak periods. If lifts are not provided with the subway, the crossing would remain but could be operated less frequently as the majority should use the subway. (updated on 6th July 2011).
Please see the latest proposal for a high-level walkway from the railway station to Onslow Street and also directly into the Friary if possible (edited on 8 August 2013).
a. The A281 bound lane on Bridge Street be removed and the freed up space used to provide wider footways and cycle routes.
b. A pedestrian and cycle crossing be constructed just West of the Bridge opposite the entrance to the YMCA. A change of use of the subway under Bridge Street may be possible to make it a dedicated cycle route only.
c. Traffic emerging from Walnut Tree Close and Farnham Road and bound for the A281 and the A3100 to follow the contraflow route on Lower Farnham Road and on Friary Bridge. The junction at Millbrook Traffic lights would be modified to allow a right turning lane and a short length of Buses Only contraflow lane on Onslow Streetcould be created to enable buses to return to the Bus Station.
d. In order to reduce queues on Portsmouth Road due to traffic waiting to turn right into High Street/Town Bridge if re-opened), right turn may be barred in conjunction with the introduction of a roundabout just north of this junction.There are 4 lanes plus a lay-by here giving a total width just large enough for a raindrop/teardrop roundabout that would allow a single lane of traffic to turn around.
e. It would be advantageous to re-open Town Bridge to single lane traffic restricted to 3T heading for High Street only. Heavier traffic from Portsmouth Road heading for the A281 would continue on to Walnut Tree Close and turn around at the proposed roundabout.
f. The proposal to allow Ahead Only traffic from Town Bridge on to High Street would require redesigning to signals at the pedestrian crossings on Millbrook and High Street.
Proposals in Items e and f above would not be possible if Millbrook pedestrian crossing is made into a staggered crossing (edited on 8 August 2013).
g. A subway be constructed south of the pedestrian crossing. There is no room to provide ramps hence lifts would be needed for the disabled, wheelchairs and push chairs. The subway may be closed if necessary at night to avoid anti-social behaviour when the pedestrian crossing would be reopened at the end of daytime closure. At weekends and on public holidays, the pedestrian crossing could remain open as before. Construction of the subway could be deferred until funds are available.
For an alternative to this subway, please see the latest proposal for a high-level walkway from the railway station to Onslow Street and also directly into the Friary if possible (edited on 8 August 2013).
h. After the subway becomes available, the Bus Lane may no longer be considered necessary. Removal of Bus Lane would also permit traffic from the nearside lane on York Road to continue on to Onslow Street and thus increase capacity on York Road, which in turn would improve the junction of York Road/Stoke Road/Chertsey Street.
3.The above proposals are a comprehensive revised vehicular traffic, cycle and pedestrian provision. Such a scheme would no doubt require a feasibility study. It is anticipated that such a study would prove that the suggested changes would be beneficial to all road users without incurring too great a capital outlay.A sum of £6m may be the order of funding required to improve the Gyratory, construct the subway and widen Walnut Tree Close.
Details of improved traffic flow figures and staged construction together with sketches showing changes to traffic lanes, road markings etc. are are available on request. Please leave your comments in the Feedback section and your email address if you wish to receive the detailed sketches.
The above proposals are not final and they are being modified and changes proposed where alternatives are viable. Indeed recently there had been three letters published in the local newspaper "Surrey Advertiser" by the author in this respect including a proposal for a new Railway Bridge connecting the developments on both sides of the tracks on the Guildford Railway Station development site by Solum Regeneration and possible development of the Guildford Road Car Park by the Borough Council.
An option should be investigated if the proposed subway is not constructed. Existing pedestrian crossing would require some layout modifications together with the north footway of Bridge Street widened instead of the south one. The crossing lights would become traffic lights rather than on demand as they are now. The proposed pedestrian crossing on Bridge Street opposite the YMCA would not be required. (updated 6th July 2011)
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