Gridlock on York Road – How Will Waitrose Customers Fare?

Published on: 28 Aug, 2014
Updated on: 29 Aug, 2014

A solid traffic jam in York Road at 5.40 August 27th.

Guildford traffic appeared gridlocked yesterday (August 27) around 6pm – perhaps following an incident on the A3. But congestion in Guildford’s rush hour is nothing new.

York Road traffic was stop-start for its entire length and motorists might have been wondering what chance any drivers will have of emerging from the newly created entrance to the Waitrose site, once the supermarket has been built and is trading.

If you have a view on the likely impact of the new store please take part in the latest Dragon Poll which can be found to the right of this article.

The new entrance made to the Waitrose site.

The new entrance on York Road made to the Waitrose site.

Responses to Gridlock on York Road – How Will Waitrose Customers Fare?

Bernard Parke Reply

August 28, 2014 at 7:26 pm

It would appear that incoming traffic will only be able approach from the York Road/Chertsey Street direction

Congestion is indeed a problem through out the town, but as was once said by a movie mogul, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Martin Elliott Reply

August 28, 2014 at 7:36 pm

For it to make any difference, people have to work out how to get in the car park with the existing traffic layout.

Of course this will be solved by the gyratory redesign. All the funding is in place, now we just need a real design with supporting traffic modelling.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

August 28, 2014 at 10:48 pm

I commented on this problem a couple of years ago here on The Guildford Dragon NEWS. I said on August 6, 2012: “In my earlier post I mentioned the idea of creating a roundabout in York Road. It seems it would be relatively simple to achieve this by altering the layout of York Road near the car park area.

I went on to say in the notes under the sketch that: “…and if and when Waitrose site is built, by allowing only left turn in and left turn out of this site, traffic flow would be least affected. Eastbound traffic in York would not be allowed to turn right into Waitrose and instead would turn around at this round about. Also the problem at the junction of York Road and Stoke Road could be eased, for example, by using this round about.”

For the full text of the note associated with this sketch please go to http://s1130.photobucket.com/user/Gyratory1/media/York_Road_round_about_rev1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=14

The sketch has been seen by over 350 visitors to my website. I hope Surrey County Council takes note of the comments being made here.
Jim Allen Reply

August 29, 2014 at 5:39 pm

The answer lies not ‘in the soil’ but in paragraph 7 of Policy 17 of the new Draft Local plan which reads: “In negotiating planning obligations, the council will take into account economic viability. We will ensure that the cumulative impact of planning policy, standards and infrastructure requirements do not render the sites and development identified in the plan unviable and therefore undeliverable.

Guess which borough won’t be getting any infrastructure improvements in the next 20 years?
Maurice Barham Reply

August 29, 2014 at 5:57 pm

As Bernard Parke has quoted “you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet”.

The current entrance is just temporary for construction traffic. The approved plan is for the entrance to the car park to be much nearer Stoke Road – around where the underpass is now – with traffic lights allowing entrance to the site from a widened York Road from either direction.

The underpass is to be sealed off – just like the one at Debenhams – and a pedestrian crossing will avoid the need for anybody to walk (safely) underground. The strong case for having both underpass and pedestrian crossing was rejected.
Bernard Parke Reply

August 29, 2014 at 9:39 pm

I am pleased to hear that the present and future traffic congestion will be resolved by the introduction of not only a pedestrian crossing with traffic light system but with the widening York Road.

Need I say more?
Bibhas Neogi Reply

September 1, 2014 at 7:01 pm

As far as I am aware the widening of York Road would be local and opposite the entrance to Waitrose. Of course we all know traffic congestion will not be resolved by changes being made to York Road.

To take full advantage of the riverside development of Millbrook stretch as in the vision document, Guildford Vision Group is suggesting taking through traffic away from the town centre by rerouting it over to the west on Farnham Road Bridge, Guildford Park Road and then over a new railway bridge and continuing east to meet up with Woodbridge Road. This is a longish detour and would involve some widening of the roads and bridges en route to cope with the traffic volume.

There is an alternative that is worth exploring and that is to put Millbrook traffic in a cut & cover tunnel and take the A3100 traffic heading north via Walnut Tree Close (WTC) and a new link over the river to Woodbridge Road via Mary Road and/or Leas Road. A high level covered walkway from the railway station to the east side of Onslow Street would be a safe and convenient route for the pedestrians to the town centre.

Walnut Tree Close would be one-way between Station View junction and the new link and hence a lot safer. This option is less disruptive as no widening of roads or bridges is necessary. The route on the railway bridge and the flyover could be a two-lane road rather than a wider four-lane road that would be needed for the full volume of traffic and hence it would cost less including compensation for acquisition of land. The approach is to keep the routes direct. New sketches have been added to the website that could be found by searching for ‘revampguildfordgyratory’.