You may have noticed that roadworks have started along Haslett Avenue in Three Bridges. This is the beginning of a major scheme by West Sussex County Council to upgrade seven junctions along the length of Haslett Avenue, which is a major route through central Crawley. This follows two drop-in sessions in August that were held to help provide information and answer questions.
The Haslett Avenue junctions that are being upgraded are the ones at Stephenson Way, Three Bridges Road, Hazelwick Avenue, Station Forecourt, Station Hill, St Mary’s Drive and Worth Road. This scheme will provide newer energy efficient signal equipment, additional pedestrian crossings and a more responsive control system that links all the junctions.
These improvements will be a welcome leap forward in managing traffic flow along Haslett Avenue, which will flow more freely and enable journey times to decrease. In addition, new crossings will make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross. The section of Haslett Avenue from its junction with Three Bridges Road to Worth Road will also be resurfaced in late February. Work will last for five months which is frustrating but once implemented, the benefits of keeping traffic moving at one of the busiest parts of Crawley will be very apparent.
While motorists can appreciate that work to improve traffic congestion can create congestion in the short term, they are usually less happy about roadworks caused by utility companies, especially when lanes are coned off and no one appears to be working. This is why at the beginning of the month, the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, announced consultation proposals to cut congestion on our busiest roads caused by utility companies undertaking repairs.
These proposals would give councils greater powers to ensure utility companies avoid carrying out works at the busiest times and on the most popular routes. This would not only improve journeys and cut congestion, but also save businesses from the costs they incur as a result of congestion. Currently, roadworks cost the economy £4 billion a year. Having a charging regime that encourages utility companies to be quicker with roadworks will benefit everyone.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
13th September 2017