Plans for an A27 Arundel bypass overkill say campaigners
One has likened it to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Last updated 15th Feb 2022
An A27 Arundel bypass would damage local communities, be bad for the environment and threaten local wildlife.
That's according to the campaign group Stop the Arundel bypass.
The group's comments come as a National Highways public consultation on the proposals reaches the halfway mark, with over 800 people having responded.
National Highways describes the stretch of road as 'a significant traffic bottleneck, causing regular congestion and forcing traffic onto smaller, less suitable roads'.
The Government company says the bypass would improve journey times while also making the road safer and more reliable.
Emma Tristram, from Stop the Arundel bypass, disagrees.
She said: "It's a perfect storm. It's not only terribly damaging to three villages and a massive, wonderful wildlife area. It's also the wrong thing to me doing in a time of climate change and biodiversity decline. So it's wrong for all those reasons.
"If you keep on building roads, you get more traffic and more vehicle emissions. They're going to try and make cars electric so they give off less carbon dioxide but that won't fix the problems.
"It would be nice if the traffic would flow more freely but this is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. There are other things that could be done, there's a scheme called the Arundel Alternative which features a short section of new road bypassing the station. That would help the traffic flow more freely but Highways England have refused to countenance it because they say it wouldn't cater to their predicted traffic increase.
"Another point to make is that the traffic bottleneck at Arundel is really, on a national scale, not that bad. I know people who drive through it every day and hardly ever have a problem."
National Highways A27 Arundel Bypass senior project lead Andrew Jackson said: “We are pleased by the level of engagement in the scheme and we remain determined to ensure that everyone who has an interest in it gets the chance to have their say. There’s still plenty of time and various ways for people to share their views, and ask the team about any questions they may have, so I urge them to get involved.”
The consultation on the plans closes on the 8th of March.