A government minister has been urged to come to Sussex to see firsthand the importance of the A27 and the pressures it faces after a multimillion-pound scheme designed to improve it was scrapped. The leader of West Sussex County Council and the chairman of Transport for the South East (TfSE) have written to the secretary of state for transport to raise their concerns following the government decision to cancel planned improvements to the road. In their letter, Councillor Paul Marshall and Councillor Keith Glazier invited Louise Haigh MP to see first-hand why the A27 is important to residents in Sussex and offered their support in working with the government to find a solution to problems with the road.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the Arundel Bypass would not go ahead as she set out a raft of public spending cuts in July . The axing of the scheme, which would have seen around 4.9 miles of new dual carriageway created through the countryside to the south of the existing A27, from the Crossbush to Fontwell roundabouts, was part of a review of projects which the Chancellor said was launched in response to £1 billion of unfunded commitments to transport schemes next year.
National Highways previously said the bypass proposals, which were estimated to cost at least £320 million and were years in the works, would reduce congestion and travel time, and improve safety. Ms Reeves said the government “would not move forward” with projects which also included works on the A3.