A27 delays between Worthing and Shoreham - 'We all predicted'

TV and radio broadcaster Stephen Cranford – ‘the Voice of the roads for BBC Sussex’ – took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent his frustration with National Highways on Tuesday morning (May 21).

He wrote: “25 to 30 minute delays [on the] A27 to the roundabout at Shoreham Airport since the traffic lights were switched on.

“@HighwaysSEAST (National Highways: South-East) can you please deal with this. The A27 is like this EVERY DAY. We all predicted this would happen.”

AA Traffic News reported ‘severe delays’ on the A27 Shoreham Bypass, eastbound between Church Lane and Old Shoreham Road (Shoreham Airport Traffic Lights). Vehicles were travelling at an average speed of ten mph.

On Wednesday morning, traffic sources reported that traffic was slow once again on the A27, eastbound, with queuing traffic from Sompting through to the Shoreham Airport roundabout lights.

Mr Cranford wrote: “The junction is now clogging up back roads in Lancing and Sompting, causing 20 to 30 minute delays for everyone.”

A National Highways spokesperson said: “The signals at the new A27 New Monks Farm roundabout have been installed as per the planned design and will be monitored over the coming weeks in relation to how the designed phasing is impacting all users throughout the day.

"As part of this process the signals will undergo a final commissioning at which point any alterations to the phasing can be undertaken. Following the completion of the scheme a road safety audit will then be completed to ensure the new layout is operating as expected.”

To allow the team to ‘finish off drainage, install ducting across the carriageway and lay the final road surface’, there have been some weekend closures of the eastbound carriageway between Manor Roundabout and the Adur junction.

The fourth weekend closure, since the middle of April, is scheduled to take place between 9pm on Friday, June 7 and 6am on Monday, June 10.