The traffic chaos on the A27, next to the site of a new Greggs, should end within 24 hours – weather permitting – according to an MP.
James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, posted an update on social media about the disruptive roadworks between Falmer and Lewes.
Mr MacCleary said: “I have heard from huge numbers of residents about the impact this has had – from people stuck in traffic for hours to pupils nearly missing exams and local sports teams having to cancel fixtures.
“While safety must always come first, lessons clearly need to be learnt from how these works were planned and managed.
“The scale of disruption on one of the area’s busiest roads has been completely disproportionate.
“Roadworks of this scale might be unavoidable for major infrastructure upgrades but many residents will rightly question whether this level of disruption was justified for a new drive-through bakery.
“Following concerns raised with me, I contacted National Highways directly.
“They confirmed the original proposal would have seen daytime works continue for around nine weeks but that this was reduced following discussions with contractors.
“The current traffic management is expected to be removed following overnight works concluding on Friday 15 May (morning of Saturday 16 May), weather permitting.
“I know how frustrating this situation has been and I will continue pressing for a review into how works like this are handled in future so residents are not subjected to this level of disruption again.”
The work affecting the A27 itself is the construction of a new slip road for the Greggs that is being built next to the Esso petrol station on the eastbound side of the A27.
The BBC quoted the contractor Landbuild apologising for the disruption and saying that it was not directly involved with the new Greggs project.
The company said that it had been “lengthening slip roads to the service station and improving the combined pedestrian and cycle lane”.
As a result, Landbuild told the BBC: “Lane closures were needed to ensure safety of the workforce and a 50mph speed reduction was required to ensure the temporary barrier system performed correctly in the event of an accident.”
The company told the broadcaster that the work was “being carried out seven days a week and overnight” and was expected to end today Friday 15 May.
Having cars pull in and exit from the fast moving A 27, crossing the 2-way bike and pedestrian path to get sausage rolls is dumb & dangerous
It’s a petrol station. People have been doing that manoeuvre on this long straight bit of road for decades. A Greggs will make no difference to that.