Congestion at North Bersted junction criticised

Busy traffic conditions at the Rown Way entrance to the Bognor Regis Retail Park have been criticised

Bersted Parish Council chairman Cllr Brian Knight said the delays along Rowan Way close to its junction with the A29 had been predicted.

The road links the eastern and western sections of the Bognor Regis relief road and funnels its tens of thousands of vehicles a day along a short stretch of the A29. The result is causing lengthy holds-up around the popular Bognor Regis Retail Park at the Rowan Way/A29 junction.

Cllr Knight told the electors’ meeting in Bersted last Tuesday: “This March saw the opening of the long-awaited eastern end of the relief road.

“This has proved to move the traffic congestion problems from Felpham to the Shripney/Bersted area.

“Many will recall we, as a council, prophesied this problem right from the start but we are only locals and not to be believed because others know better.

“As you are well aware, egress problems are experienced from the KFC/Halfords site, in particular turning right but also turning left and we will endeavour to try and solve this issue.”

The only solution would be to make the retail park entrance a left turn only site, he said. This would mean motorists having to drive to one of the two roundabouts on that part of Rowan Way.

Bersted’s county councillor Ann Rapnik said she was well aware of the problem.

“This concern about the Halfords exit to the retail park is the strongest priority I will be raising at the next highways sub-committee meeting,” she said.

At the opening of the Felpham relief road earlier this month, the county council cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr John O’Brien, said: “We are expecting up to 20,000 vehicles per day to use the new road once it opens.

“We estimate that 40 per cent of motorists who use the existing road network around Bognor will take the relief road instead.”

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