New road scheme eases traffic congestion after first week
Thursday 13 December 2012
A £4.5 million scheme to ease congestion and boost business near the University of Surrey has been completed and already eased congestion.
The University joined forces with Surrey County Council to fund improvements to the traffic flow at the busy roundabout outside the Surrey Research Park in Guildford.
The project, delivered on time and within budget, involved the removal of the roundabout which has been replaced with crossroads with traffic lights after the university invested £2.5m and the council contributed £2m.
The roundabout that was originally in its place resulted in substantial traffic delays during the morning and evening peak hours.
But now, the new traffic light based junction has shaved at least 35 minutes off journeys at peak times through West Guildford.
More than 140 companies are served by the roundabout at the Surrey Research Park and other organisations, such as the Royal Surrey County Hospital and the Surrey Sports Park, are based nearby.
The need to modernise the junction and improve the flow of traffic, has 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 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,” said Dr Malcolm Parry, Director of the Surrey Research Park, who led the charge to secure the junction.
“They have faced delays for the last four years while the 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 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 £2m 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.”
Charlie Davies, Director & Co-Founder, of iGeolise Ltd. based in the Surrey Technology Centre on the Park, was one of many to give the ‘thumbs up’ to the new improved junction by adding: “They may build satellites on the research park, but with the new junction it feels like we could launch them too... the way it now works really does make it feel like we are achieving “warp speeds” getting off the site at the end of the day.”
Editors' Notes
About The Surrey Research Park
A major centre of excellence in technology, science and engineering, The Surrey Research Park is widely regarded as the best of its kind in the UK.
Owned, developed and managed by The University of Surrey as a 70 acre (28.33 ha) low density, development close to its campus in Guildford, the Surrey Research Park provides a high quality, working environment for a wide variety of companies engaged in a broad spectrum of research, development and design activities.
For more information please visit: www.srp.surrey.ac.uk
Media Enquiries
Howard Wheeler, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 686141, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk
