Drivers gear up for road chaos
Drivers are bracing themselves for snarl-ups as major roadworks started in Horsham this week.
One key route will shut for nearly four months - and will be followed by disruption from a second major road scheme.
Rusper Road between the A264 and Lemmington Way roundabout junction - and from Meadow Farm Lane access onto Lemmington Way roundabout - was due to close on Monday for 15 weeks for works to be carried out as part of the 2,750-home North Horsham development.
A 40mph speed limit is also being imposed on the A264 200 metres east and west of the Rusper Road roundabout junction.
And north or southbound vehicles on Rusper Road will also be barred from turning right onto the A264 - while east or westbound vehicles on the A264 will be unable to turn right onto Rusper Road.
A spokesman for Legal & General, which owns the land, said: “Whilst we appreciate the disruption it will cause, unfortunately a road closure is unavoidable.”
A second major scheme for improvements to the Robin Hood roundabout on the A24 are scheduled to follow on from the Rusper Road works in the spring. West Sussex County Council says the improvements are needed because of a large expansion of housing south of Broadbridge Heath.
A council spokesman said that there were frequent bottlenecks at the roundabout. “This will continue to increase as the development areas are built, and with the general increase in background traffic.”
The work will widen the A24 southbound from two to four lanes and northbound from two to three lanes.
There will also be widening of the exit from Warnham Road onto the roundabout.
Trees and vegetation in the area have already been cleared so that the works can start this spring - and they are not expected to end until the ‘end of 2021 or early in 2022’.
The county council says it is liaising with the Legal and General team working on the A264 and Rusper Road ‘to examine the coordination of construction, traffic management and any necessary closures and diversion works’ once it has appointed contractors for the Robin Hood roundabout works.
The new 2,750-home north Horsham estate, when finished, will also include shops and community facilities, a campus for Bohunt Horsham School, sports hub, a 500,000sqft business park, and green space. Work began in September to upgrade the existing Rusper Road roundabout.
The Legal & General spokesman added :“This work needs to take place to support the entire development but has been programmed to start now to support the opening of the new Bohunt Horsham School” - due to open in September 2021.