22.04.20
Work on key transport link worth £23m set to start soon
West Sussex County Council has announced that a road building project worth £23m, which will support new homes and jobs and cut congestion and pollution, is set to start soon.
The major set of works will be carried out in Burgess Hill, which will see the A2300 improvements scheme widen around 2.5km of single-land road to become a dual carriageway, and support the provision of more than 3,500 new homes, 3,600 new jobs and 200,000m2 of new employment space.
The project aims to encourage more sustainable transport methods, with new facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, congestion will be cut, positively impacting journey times and pollution.
The council has published a fly-through visualisation to allow the public to get an idea of what the completed road will look like when it is completed in around 18 months’ time.
Roger Elkins, county council Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, said:
“This is arguably the most significant road building project for the county council since the A24 Ashington Bypass was built in the 1990s.
“The A2300 is an important route for people commuting to and from Burgess Hill and links the town to the A23/M23 strategic road corridor.
“A significant amount of residential and commercial development is planned for the north and north-west of Burgess Hill which, if the road wasn’t dualled, would exacerbate the current traffic issues on the A2300. Instead, this project will lead to huge benefits for the district in cutting congestion and boosting the local economy by supporting the provision of new jobs, new homes and workspace.”
The £23m scheme has been jointly funded by Central Government through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Deal, developer contributions and the County Council.
Also involved in the improvements will be roundabout modification, a 2.5m-wide central reservation with vehicle restraint barrier, associated surface water drainage, landscaping and planting measures.
The Council has noted that during this time of national crisis, some work including this one, needs to be carried out to keep the country running smoothly now and in the future. The situation is under constant review and Government advice and guidelines relating to Covid-19 are being adhered to, including social distancing for contractors.
Picture: a visualisation of a section of the completed scheme