Letter: A New East-West Crossing is Essential for Guildford

Published on: 5 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 5 Sep, 2024

From David Ogilvie

In response to: A New East-West Route Is Still Possible

A second east-west crossing in Guildford town centre is essential long-term planning.

It was a tragic error of the 2019 Local Plan that it did not safeguard this route.

The existing Farnham Road bridge over the railway is over 170 years old, it is weak and had to be strengthened recently.

It also has a narrow span that inhibits track improvements to the station.

At some time soon this bridge will have to be replaced, a second crossing will provide this resilience.

A second crossing will also improve east-west accessibility and take a large amount of traffic out of the town centre gyratory thus reducing pollution, and risk of accidents.

Possible route for new east-west crossing (click on image to enlarge).

This second crossing could also form part of a ring road round Guildford thus making the whole town centre pedestrianised, opening up the riverside and serving its perimeter car parks.

The west ramp to the tunnel would require a speed limit due its steepness. The ring road would be completed with the tunnel from the A281 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre to York Road car park where portals already exist. I can provide further plans if required.