Driving and Roads around Chichester
The A27, local roads and traffic
Driving in and around Chichester is dominated by the A27, the trunk road that passes to the south and east of the city and carries the bulk of through traffic along the south coast corridor. The relationship between the city and this road has been a source of debate for decades, and the traffic problems it creates are a daily reality for residents, commuters and visitors.
The A27 runs through Chichester as a single carriageway with roundabouts and traffic lights, rather than the dual carriageway bypass that it becomes further east towards Arundel and further west towards Havant. This bottleneck is one of the most persistent traffic problems in the south of England. At peak times, the queues on the A27 through and around Chichester can extend for miles, adding significant journey times for those travelling along the coast. Various bypass and improvement schemes have been proposed over the years, but none has been fully implemented, and the issue remains unresolved.
The A286 is the main north-south road, connecting Chichester to Lavant, Singleton, Midhurst and the South Downs. This road also carries traffic to and from the Goodwood Estate, and on event days, particularly during the Festival of Speed, the Revival and race meetings, the traffic on the A286 and the surrounding lanes can be extremely heavy. The Goodwood events generate significant volumes of vehicles that must pass through or around Chichester, and the road network was not designed to handle them.
Within the city, driving is straightforward but slow. The one-way system channels traffic around the city walls, and the inner ring road handles the circulation. Parking, as covered elsewhere, requires planning. The pedestrianised sections of North Street and East Street mean that through traffic is directed around rather than through the centre.
The roads south of Chichester to the Witterings and Selsey carry heavy seasonal traffic. During the summer holidays and on hot weekends, the B2179 to West Wittering becomes extremely congested, with queues stretching back towards the A27. This is one of the most frustrating drives in the area, and locals learn to time their journeys carefully or use alternative routes.
For longer journeys, the A27 connects westward to the M27 motorway near Portsmouth, providing access to Southampton, the M3 and the national motorway network. Eastward, the A27 leads to Worthing, Brighton and the A23/M23 to London and Gatwick Airport. The journey to Gatwick takes about an hour in normal traffic, making it the most convenient airport for Chichester residents.
Electric vehicle charging points are being installed across the city, at car parks, supermarkets and some residential streets, as the transition to electric motoring gathers pace.
The roads south of Chichester to the Witterings and Selsey carry heavy seasonal traffic during the summer months. On hot weekends and school holiday days, the B2179 to West Wittering becomes extremely congested, with queues stretching back towards the A27 and journey times that can treble or worse. This is one of the most frustrating drives in the area, and locals learn to time their journeys carefully or use alternative routes that, while longer, avoid the worst of the queuing.
For longer journeys, the A27 connects westward to the M27 motorway near Portsmouth, providing access to Southampton, the M3 and the national motorway network. Eastward, the A27 leads to Worthing, Brighton and the A23/M23 to London and Gatwick Airport. The journey to Gatwick takes about an hour in normal traffic, making it the most convenient airport for Chichester residents and visitors.
Electric vehicle charging points are being installed across the city, at car parks, supermarkets and some residential streets, as the transition to electric motoring gathers pace. The infrastructure is not yet comprehensive, and those relying on public charging rather than a home charger need to plan ahead, but the network is growing.