Route for new A27 Arundel Bypass announced
The huge project aims to cut congestion on one of the South's busiest stretches of road
Last updated 15th Oct 2020
Plans for a new bypass for Arundel on the A27 have been announced by Highways England.
Highways England says the preferred route (the grey option 5BV1) goes south of the national park and will protect the environment.
The A27 at Arundel is a regular traffic bottleneck, with 21,000 journeys made each day.
The chosen route of the bypass goes south of the South Downs national park and includes a new dual carriageway between Crossbush in the east and a new junction near Tye Lane in the west.
Local campaigners believe the new route will have a devasting impact on the environment and nearby wetlands.
The countryside charity CPRE said:
"The new road would cut through Binsted Valley, passing close to the village's 12th Century church, natural wetlands and a rare chalk stream.
"This unnecessary road is a new dual carriageway, trashing beautiful villages and countryside, and encouraging car use in a climate emergency."
A statement from the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment (SCATE) said that by announcing this as the preferred route, Highways England has "opted for a climate-wrecking dual carriageway, causing serious destruction of landscape, wildlife and communities in the Arun Valley, that is way beyond its budget".
Jean Norton, secretary of Arundel SCATE, added:
"This announcement flies in the face of all the evidence about what we need to do to tackle climate change and loss of wildlife.
"Highways England seem to be on a different planet, ignoring the warnings of Sir David Attenborough and others that we need to do things differently.
"Building bigger roads just increases traffic and carbon emissions."
She went on to say that they "don’t need a new, highly expensive, dual carriageway", adding they need "better transport and money earmarked for the road would be better spent on access for everyone".
The move has been welcomed by both Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council, although both had called for a different option - the magenta one - to be chosen instead.
Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said:
“We welcome the much-needed investment in our road infrastructure in West Sussex. We have said for many years that improvements are vital on the A27 at Chichester, Arundel, Worthing and Lancing to reduce congestion and ensure our residents and businesses can move around our county reliably and safely.
“The County Council’s preferred scheme for Arundel was along a different route (the magenta route). However, we will carefully examine the rationale for this decision and look forward to receiving further detail and information about the much-needed mitigation package Highways England will put in place to, as much as possible, limit impacts on residents and the environment.
“I absolutely understand the concerns of the people of Tortington, Binsted and Walberton and the surrounding area and I want to reassure them that I will continue to lobby Government to make sure they get the support they need.”
Highways England Chief Executive Jim O’Sullivan said:
"The A27 is the only strategic east west route south of the M25. This new road removes the traffic from the centre of Arundel and provides faster more reliable journey times for users of this important road.
"We will continue to work with communities and local groups to further develop the project’s design, so we can deliver a scheme that has as little impact as possible on the special environment and local people in and around Arundel."
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
"Today's announcement is an important one, with another step being taken to delivering benefits in the region through what is now a long-overdue scheme."