Oftentimes, there are few things as frustrating when you’re looking to drive somewhere as the presence of temporary traffic lights. Firstly, they obviously slow you down when you’re looking to get your journey on the move, then there is the constant fear that maybe they’re not working and you will be stuck there indefinitely.
The bad news for Guildford residents is that four months’ worth of temporary traffic lights are getting underway, meaning that people will encounter them on a regular basis. The good news is that it is for the creation of the Guildford to Godalming Greenway.
Where the Temporary Traffic Lights Will Be
Perhaps the most important thing that most people either living in, working in or visiting Guildford will want to know is where, exactly, the temporary traffic lights are going to be. Surrey County Council has confirmed that the lights will be located on the A3100, which is also known as the Old Portsmouth Road. That is a key part of Phase One of the works, which covers the area roughly between Catteshall, Farncombe and Peasmarsh. The work on the road was due to begin on the fifth of January, lasting until the end of April, starting off at the Godalming end of the Greenway.
It is, though, worth bearing in mind that roads off the A3100 are likely to become affected by the temporary traffic lights during their time of use. That is because cars already on the A3100 aren’t going to be able to move if the lights are red, meaning that people on the feeder roads will be unable to join the queue of traffic until the lights turn to green. Not only that, but people looking to avoid the Old Portsmouth Road are more likely to look for alternative routes, which will obviously result in them becoming blocked up with an excess amount of traffic compared to what they’d normally face.
What Work Is Being Carried Out
A spokesperson for Surrey County Council explained that the first section of works has been gradually progressing along the A3100, moving from the B3000 New Pond Road to south of Tilthams Corner Road. The work that has been carried out there includes the widening of the footway on the western side, in order to add a shared footway/cycle path, as well as installing a crossing close to the Tilthams Corner Road. The work that has been done already is due to be continued along the rest of the A3100, bringing it all in line with what has already been done.
In order to allow the work to be carried out, the temporary traffic lights will be the main way of doing this. However, drivers should be aware of the fact that there are also some night closures that are planned on occasions. If you want to know when these will be, there will be signs put up around the area in advance, allowing you to look for a different route instead of being unable to complete your journey. As the work progresses, that is when the temporary traffic lights, and possibly the overnight closures, will move closer to Guildford, from close to the High Street to Shalford.
What Is the Greenway?
Knowing where the temporary traffic lights are going to be is one thing, as is understanding the sort of work that is going to be carried out over the next few months. What a lot of people might want to know, though, is why it is even happening in the first place. Being told that it is for the Guildford to Godalming Greenway is one thing, but knowing what exactly that is is something else entirely. The project was given the green light back in 2018, having been given support by local councillors after being proposed by the Godalming Cycle Campaign and Guildford Bicycle Users Group.
It was intended to be part of the Guildford Local Cycle Plan, with funding for the Greenway coming from the Section 106 money created by new developments in the area. It came off the back of information in the census that showed that 3,840 commuted between Guildford and Godalming for work on a daily basis, with only 50 of them choosing to cycle. The obvious hope is that that number can be increased over the years, especially as people see that there is a specific route to take and that it is being made to be as safe as it is possible to make it for them to use.
What the Route Should Do
The hope of those behind the Greenway is that it will improve safety as well as accessibility for those that want to use it. Whether you’re looking to walk, wheel or cycle between Guildford and Godalming, your journey should be improved. That will, in turn, ensure that there will be health and wellbeing benefits for anyone using it, thanks to the increase in physical activity. On top of that, accessibility to green spaces across the area will also be improved, allowing people to more readily embrace nature. There are plenty of areas around Godalming and Guildford that are green, but getting to them is the problem.
A feasibility study was carried out early on, which was then followed by a public consultation that Surrey County Council said received widespread support. That is suggestive of a wealth of people in Surrey who are looking to improve their own fitness, as well as be able to get access to the countless green areas that are located nearby. At the moment, anyone hoping to cycle between the two locations, as an example, would have to go on roads alongside traffic, which is understandably off-putting to those who don’t feel safe travelling in that manner.