New Egerton Road Traffic Lights ‘Has Shaved 35 Minutes Off Journey Times’

Published on: 17 Dec, 2012
Updated on: 17 Dec, 2012

The new traffic lights and junction in Egerton Road near the Surrey County Hospital, the University of Surrey and the Surrey Research Park.

The new traffic lights and crossroads in Egerton Road near the Royal Surrey County Hospital, the University of Surrey and the Surrey Research Park.

The University of Surrey has said that the £4.5 million traffic scheme in Egerton Road, near its campus and research park, has eased congestion within days of it opening.

On its website the university states that it joined forces with Surrey County Council to fund improvements to the traffic flow on Egerton Road near the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Tesco store and the road leading to the Surrey Sports Park.

The university notes that the project was delivered on time and within budget. It involved the removal of a roundabout that has been replaced with crossroads and traffic lights. The university invested £2.5 million and the county council contributed £2 million.

Regular users of that stretch of road will know that there were substantial traffic delays during the morning and evening peak hours – mainly due to tailbacks as vehicles negotiated the roundabout.

But now, according to the university, the new traffic light based-junction has shaved at least 35 minutes off journeys at peak times through the west of Guildford.

Staff from more than 140 companies at the Surrey Research Park and their visitors use Egerton Road. The university states that “the need to modernise the junction and improve traffic flow had been partly due to the park’s continued success and the progressive expansion of the site as growing companies have taken on larger premises and more members of staff”.

The scene on December 5, one of the final days of road work disruption before the traffic lights and new crossroads came into operation.

The director of the Surrey Research Park, Dr Malcolm Parry, who led the charge to secure the junction, said: “The turning on of the junction lights has provided a little piece of goodwill just before Christmas for the employees of the companies on the Surrey Research Park.

“They have faced delays for the last four years while the Surrey Research Park team designed the project and worked with Surrey County Council to gain the investment needed for work to begin. We need to pay tribute to these companies that have been so patient whilst the matter has been resolved.

“We’ve already received some great feedback from the park’s tenants and we’re delighted that the project has already been deemed a success and will continue to improve people’s commute to and from the park.”

John Furey, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “We’re serious about improving Surrey’s roads and this £2 million investment demonstrates our commitment to supporting local businesses by providing the infrastructure essential to helping them thrive.

“With Surrey’s roads being the fourth busiest in Britain and the county being a powerhouse of the national economy, this is a hugely important scheme for Guildford, with the new layout cutting journey times significantly.”

Do you use Egerton Road and have you seen a difference since the traffic lights and new junction has been opened? Do you think at least 35 minutes have been shaved off journey times in this part of Guildford during peak hours? Please leave a reply in the box below.

Responses to New Egerton Road Traffic Lights ‘Has Shaved 35 Minutes Off Journey Times’

John Schluter Reply

December 17, 2012 at 11:29 pm

I go to the Surrey Sports Centre at least three times a week and although I was somewhat sceptical of the new layout, the system works well with minimal traffic delays
Bibhas Neogi Reply

December 18, 2012 at 9:30 am

I’m glad to hear that the new layout is working well. This is what I said on 10 October 2012 here on TGDN about the new system following comments on consultation the local residents had with the Councils –

“As Iain Reeve has said, some increase in traffic is expected but Egerton Road is being widened and the roundabout replaced by a signalized junction. The existing roundabout is not working well as heavier traffic flow from Tesco round about towards Park Barn has priority over traffic leaving the hospital and hence causing congestion there and equally for the same reason causing congestion at the Tesco roundabout for the traffic coming off the A3. Surrey County Council might be considering part-time signals on the Tesco roundabout, who knows?

I think locals will benefit from the improvement of this junction. However, I have outlined ideas on my web site and here in my earlier letters on access to this Park a& Ride directly from and to the A3 as well. These should ideally be incorporated by the Highways Agency in the A3 improvement scheme (when it is resurrected and its funding restored) together with a link from Beechcroft Drive.”
Fiona White Reply

December 18, 2012 at 6:20 pm

I am pleased that the changes appear to have made such an improvement for people who use the junction whether they are users of the Sports Park, people who work at the Surrey Research Park and even more importantly, local residents. For years the “hospital roundabout” was a nightmare at busy times and as the county councillor I kept reminding the leadership at Surrey County Council that changes were needed.

I still have concerns about whether delays will increase again once the Onslow park and ride is built with the additional traffic movements that will bring. I hope that the new road system is able to cope.
brian holt Reply

December 20, 2012 at 4:37 pm

I am please the new junction is working well. My concern is how long before drivers start jumping red lights, which they now do at most traffic light junctions.
All drivers need to be alert when using the new junction.
Bernard Parke Reply

December 20, 2012 at 6:42 pm

Consideration should now be given to improvement of the slip road on to the northound A3 at this point.

The southbound slip was improved some years back. However, its sister slip road is far too short when merging into the fast-moving traffic flow.

The road on to this entrance point presents traffic with a considerable blind spot from vehicles merging from behind them.
Fiona White Reply

December 21, 2012 at 9:17 am

I think everyone agrees that stretch of the A3 is a nightmare from the junction with the A31, the exit from Beechcroft Drive, the slip and roundabout outside Tesco and down towards the town. I know that Surrey County Council officers are talking with the Highways Agency about the difficulties and I hope they (the HA) will be prepared to invest in that section which has become worse since the Hindhead Tunnel opened.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

December 21, 2012 at 11:37 am

It is encouraging to hear that Surrey County Council officers are talking with the Highways Agency on this issue. The scope for extending the northbound on-slip is limited by the proximity of the railway bridge that carries the the A3. This bridge would require to be widened to carry an extra lane and possibly also incorporate a footway for the pedestrians that now use the separate footbridge.

The original railway bridge is under the bridge that now carries the loading and thus effectively relieving loading on the old bridge. Removal of the old bridge would be extremely difficult and it is likely that both structures would require to be replaced by a widened bridge. By no means an easy task considering that traffic has to be maintained during construction.