LETTER: A27: Northern route impacts less

We were all very impressed we could now drive to Portsmouth in about 25 minutes and avoid the constant congestion at Emsworth, Havant, Bedhampton etc.

This ambitious new road was carved through open countryside, despite vigorous protestations from the environmentalists of the day, across the Farlington Marshes.

Apart from problems with road noise due to an unsuitable surface, this road has been an outstanding success and any teething problems have long since departed. Can you imagine how today’s traffic would cope without this road?

The only long term solution to our present dilemma is adopt the northern bypass option and build a new road to carry the through traffic away from the current road.

No matter how one feels about it traffic is never going to diminish and the current sticking plaster suggestions for improvement to the Chichester bypass will do no more than push the problem a year or two hence.

The southern half of England is already grossly overpopulated and, with current political issues in mind, can only get much worse. The public transport system is risible and can never cater for all needs so we need a decent road system to make transport and travel more bearable.

People are scared of change but, I think the acreage of land lost to a new northern bypass would be much less than that being lost to the ongoing and proposed housing developments in the Chichester area.

Stuart Power

St Blaises Road

Chichester