Release date: 16 July 2024
Essential work starts soon to replace the river wall that helps support the A285 Westhampnett Road in Chichester.
The wall is in poor condition and will be replaced using environmentally-friendly, soil-filled bags, which will help protect the road from being eroded by the adjacent River Lavant. The bags will be seeded to encourage vegetation and wildflower growth and improve local biodiversity.
Subject to unforeseen factors, such as severe weather, the work will start on 12 August and take approximately eight weeks.
For the protection of both the public and workforce, the northbound lane in Westhampnett Road will be closed on weekdays for the duration of the works between St James Road and Church Road. Access to St James Industrial Estate will be maintained.
There will be a signed, 3.6km / 2.3-mile diversion (please see map) via the A259, A27 and A285 for northbound traffic.
The lane closure and diversion will be lifted every Friday evening to Monday morning. Also, to provide a ‘buffer’ around the Goodwood Revival weekend, they will be lifted from Thursday 5 September to Monday 9 September, inclusive.
The northbound bus stop adjacent to St James Industrial Estate will be suspended and buses diverted via St James Road for Stagecoach 500 customers and via Swanfield Drive, Bradshaw Road and Barnfield Drive for Compass Travel 71, 85, 85A and 99 customers.
Access to properties from Westhampnett Road will be maintained and pedestrian access will be unaffected, as no works are planned on the south side of the road.
A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “These are essential works which will help protect a section of the A285 from erosion caused by the flow of the adjacent River Lavant. We apologise for the disruption they will cause and will do our very best to keep this to a minimum.
“Please allow extra time for your journeys, particularly at peak times.”
To avoid further disruption, work to replace the obsolete pedestrian crossing lights in Westhampnett Road, north of the St James Industrial Estate, will be carried out at the same time as the river wall replacement. LED technology will be used to improve the lights’ reliability, reduce maintenance and save energy and running costs.
These additional works will have no further impact on traffic flow and a temporary crossing point will be provided.
