Category: Road Works and Utilities

The following detail on disruption mitigation measures has been supplied by WSCC:

1. The Imberhorne Lane works start Monday 13^th July, firstly with temporary traffic signals.

2. The closures on Imberhorne Lane start on 23^rd July and are currently scheduled to last until 17^th

3. Works start on London Road east of the signal junction with Imberhorne Lane on 17^th August and last until 4^th These will be under temporary 3-way signals at the Imberhorne lane junction. These temporary signals cannot be linked technically with the permanent signals at Felbridge. So the same issues may well arise as with the SGN works, although the peak demand will be smoothed out because there will be less school run traffic but possibly increased holiday traffic instead.

4. The diversion route for Imberhorne Lane relies upon Turners Hill, but this uses B-class roads and should cope with the size of traffic although volume may be a slight restriction. Imberhorne Lane has a couple of pinch points over bridges but should adequately be able to serve the business estates.

5. Other measures worked up with SCC are some additional static warning signs placed in a wider cordon, on their network as well; SCC will use their static VMS signs (again in a much wider cordon) to deter motorists from outside our two counties; similarly we have engaged the RCC at Godstone with a request to utilise the VMS on the M25 when not being used for other incident information.

Further Detail

• Surrey CC static VMS at the following locations:

V804 – A22 Southbound between Whyteleafe and M25 (captures all London southbound A22 traffic)
V801 – A25 Westbound – approaching A22 from Oxted
V803 – A25 Eastbound – approaching A22 from Bletchingley
V903 – A23 Southbound – between Coulsdon and M25 (captures all London southbound A23 traffic)
V902 – A217 Southbound – between Kingswood and M25 (captures all London southbound A217 traffic)

The message prior to the A22 works will read:

A22 SOUTHBOUND
EAST GRINSTEAD
ROAD WORKS
17 AUG – 4 SEPT
Once works commence the 4^th line of the message will change to read

‘EXPECT DELAYS’ .

• Signals at A22/A264 Felbridge (managed by SCC)
  These signals operate using optimisation software. Engineers will try operating short pulses of traffic through the junction by taking the operation outside the software to try and mitigate the effects of the temporary 3-way signals at Imberhorne Lane. Operation will be monitored on day 1 of the works and if this does not assist traffic flow through the junction, the operating software will be reintroduced.

• Additional advance signage in Surrey

South East Water have been asked to provide additional signage at points further out into Surrey, see below, to allow traffic from outside the area to take alternative routes:
a. A22 before j/w Ray Lane, Lingfield (southbound)
b. A22 before j/w B2028, Newchapel (southbound)
c. B2037 before j/w B2028 (Eastbound before rbt. at Effingham Park Golf Club)

• Works moratorium
  SCC will maintain a moratorium on all planned works on those roads which motorists may use to circumnavigate the section of A22 affected by the works.

• Highways England support

Both SCC and WSCC are working with Highways England to use the M25 VMS units to alert southbound drivers of the potential for delays. This will be dependent upon them not requiring them for incident messaging on their own network.

• Other options
  Consideration was given to easing flow through the Felbridge junction by closing the A264 at the junction and using diversion routes north and south of the A264.

This was discounted because the A264 is a heavily used route and to positively drive this traffic into less suitable roads was not considered viable. Turners Hill in particular experiences increased traffic volumes anyway with current traffic management measures notwithstanding all southbound traffic being routed in this direction.

Consideration was given to introducing a full closure of Imberhorne Lane whilst the works on the A22 were in progress. This could remove totally the 3-way signals at Imberhorne Lane so the only restriction to traffic on the A22 would be the 2-way signals protecting the works themselves. This was discounted as experience indicates that traffic, especially HGVs bound for the industrial estate, would cut through the residential areas off London Road and into Heathcote Drive and beyond. This was therefore considered unacceptable.

Please see attached letter and leaflet from SGN.

Leaflet detailing works being undertaken

Letter to residents