Chichester – Westgate Roundabout conversion to Dutch style Roundabout

Works are now well underway to convert the existing Westgate Roundabout into a Dutch Style Roundabout. The works form part of off-site highway improvements associated with phase 1 of West of Chichester (Whitehouse Farm) development. Following the grant of planning permission an Infrastructure Steering Group was set up to look at options for the existing roundabout and ways to improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity. The scheme provides dedicated cycle facilities and improved pedestrian connectivity while maintaining controlled flows of vehicles by reducing entry and circulatory speeds.

The use of Dutch roundabouts is new in this country so the layout may at first be unfamiliar to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The developers have commissioned their designer Jubb to create a video explaining how to use the roundabout. To ensure traffic safety and to understand the priorities, please view the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ptb2C-YUDM or you can watch the video below, which shows how to use the roundabout and ensure the safety of all users. The layout of the roundabout will give priority to people walking and cycling, whilst allowing drivers and cyclists to have a clear view of each other to ensure safe journeys for all. This will improve active travel for people on foot, bikes, and mobility aids.

Reduce your speed – Look Carefully – Protect Other Road Users

The Westgate roundabout will undergo some night work from 9th to 13th December 2024, between 8p.m to 6a.m. The work is required to finish electrical and drainage road crossings, which would be extremely disruptive if done during the day. The works will be carried on in one area at a time and managing traffic with stop and go boards.

The contractors have discussed the works with the Environmental Health Team and will follow strict guidance to minimise the impact of noise. The noisiest works (Breaking out etc) will not be conducted after 11pm. From 11pm onwards, only quieter tasks will be completed such as soft excavation and reinstatement.

These works will enable to reduce the overall programme and amount of night works at the end of the project. In order to build new splitter islands and finish all the surfacing and lining, a complete nighttime closure will be necessary starting on January 13th, 2024. Residents will receive a letter well in advance outlining these works, along with plans for closure points and diversion routes. Update will be provided prior to January night works.

Over the past few weeks, significant adjustments have been done on the site, and things have advanced rather well. Zone C (West walls and Orchard Street) is now complete, with the exception of some new street lighting and final surface.

The work in Zone E (Westgate and Avenue De Chartres) is likewise going well. The new pedestrian and cycleway plan will start to take shape over the course of the next week, with about 90% of the drainage work now finished.

The contractors are more than halfway through the Zone works. The works will stop during the Christmas period from 20^th December to 1^st January. Following Christmas, Avenue De Chartres' north and southbound carriageways will require some footpath and centre reservation works to be finished. This will involve some brief footpath closures and pedestrian diversion.

Additionally, weeks following Christmas, the contractors are approaching last phase of construction which will include:

• 3 new splitter islands on the roundabout.
• Some final drainage .
• Electrical connection.
• Surfacing and road markings.

Unfortunately, these refurbishments will take place at night for approximately 5 weeks because the A286 is such a busy road. The details are still being finalised, but there will be advance notice provided by the contractors before these work starts.

We are happy to report that the contractors continue to make good progress. They are now working in ‘Zone A’ which is the arm of the roundabout at the location of West Street and Avenue De Chartres following on from the completion of the bulk of the work on the new Zebra crossing on Ave De Chartres.

Works completed in the last period, other than mentioned above include:

• Removal of all kerbs which are being replaced in Zone A.
• Removal of the vegetation from Zone A which interferes with the new layout.
• Removal of 2no street light columns, which are to be replaced with new columns later on in the project.

Upon commencing the reduce dig to build the widened section of road on West Street, the groundworkers have unearthed the old West Street – Westgate road surface. This means that there is no need to excavate down to a depth of a meter as originally planned to rebuild the road. This will save on carbon footprint emission by not having to import new materials and export waste materials. However, buried services - an electric cable, gas pipe, and water pipes from utility companies appear to have been laid directly on top of this old road surface, a lot shallower than regulations dictate. The relevant utility providers have been informed but there could be a small delay in the programme as we wait for the relevant utility providers to come and lower their services.

In coming weeks, once current works area is complete, rather than just working in one zone on the verge of the roundabout, there is a possibility of moving into 2 zones all together. If all goes well, the contractors could potentially be working on Zone C and Zone E. These encompass the arms of the roundabout of Wall Cottage Drive and Orchard Street, and the junction of Westgate with Avenue De Chartres.

This phase requires, BT Openreach and City Fibre to undertake some diversion works to their network. This will be taking place between Westgate and Orchard street. Works may be getting more disruptive as a result of this. We apologies in advance.

Works on the Westgate roundabout scheme is progressing nicely, the roundabout itself is near enough finished, other than addition of a little bit of concrete and tidying up. The developers have now moved onto the next phase which includes the installation of a new shared pedestrian / cycle Zebra crossing on Avenue De Chartres – opposite the entrance to the Chichester college. The works for this include:

• Creating a new shared cycle / pedestrian footpath by widening the current footpath for a short stretch.
• Installation of new electrical connections for 4 new Belisha beacons (An amber light globe atop a tall black and white striped pole, marking pedestrian crossings)
• Relocating the live parking traffic sign 15 yards north of its current location.
• Installing new warning paving.
• Resurfacing the footpath.
• Installation of new surface water drainage, including a new manhole.

The splitter islands have been removed and will be relocated as part of the scheme. By doing this early, wider running lane will allow traffic and this will enable to move the traffic management to suit the works being carried on the outside arms of the roundabout. We appreciate that having to temporarily close pedestrian crossing points is an inconvenience, please bear with us, these works are essential to the scheme.

SAFETY ALERT - Please follow the diversion and do not attempt to walk in the carriageway around the barriers. It is a great risk for people who choose to walk in the road because of the narrow lane and the traffic. This could force the vehicle users to drive into our barriers which endangers the workforce. Thank you for your patience.

Since the last update, a brief look at the progress so far:

• Completion of laying capping material.
• Vast majority of surface water drainage pipe work and new manhole completed.
• Kerbs from the existing roundabout footprint have now been removed.
• The new roundabout footprint is being constructed with 2 rings of kerbs for the inner kerb and outer overrun area.

There have been 3 significant finds in the roundabout footprint:

• Redundant road construction which had been built over when the roundabout was constructed in the 1960’s. Following testing and investigation it has been confirmed that this material can be used in the permanent construction which saves on sending material to land fill and vehicle movements to import material.
• Part of a redundant brick culvert has been dug out and filled in with concrete to remove the risk to new roads integrity.
• A soakaway has been found and is believed to be from the late 1800’s, fortunately this was not in the road construction, and has been backfilled.

A live tracking exercise was conducted with Stagecoach at Tangmere airfield. This involved setting out the new roundabout in its entirety with traffic cones, and allowing Stagecoach to complete a drive through exercise to ensure that the planned analysis of the busses’ turning circles undertaken at design stage was accurate. Concerns had been expressed by Stagecoach about busses turning out of West Street into Avenue De Chartres as it appeared to be tight on the drawings. However, the exercise proved that the turn was possible to do safely.

Further details can be found on Project updates and progress photos - Mildren Construction in the Community

JULY UPDATE

Works are progressing well on the construction of the new Dutch-style roundabout. A brief look into works completed so far:

• Archaeological finds throughout the reduce dig of the roundabout. These are all recorded by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).
• Commence with new surface water drainage.
• Removal of kerbs from the existing roundabout.
• Making safe a high voltage cable which passes through the roundabout from East to West.
• Installation of new capping material to 90% of the area which has been dug.
• Significant amount of tarmac uncovered to the south side of the roundabout – believed to have been the road which connected Westgate and West Street prior to the construction of the existing roundabout in the 1960s.

The detail to these works can be found at Project updates and progress photos - Mildren Construction in the Community (opens in new window).

From left to right: New surface water drainage and Archaeological finds.