A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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Bertiebus
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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A3-Andrew wrote: Mon Mar 02, 2020 15:24 The current owners who bought it in the mid-00ies (horrible phrase) renamed it "Brighton City Airport."
Ah. Hopeless optimism it is... :wink:
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by GeekyJames »

The local paper in Worthing has noticed the A27 Worthing "improvement" is in RIS2 - HE still committed to the scheme but will they make any changes to the current plans? Maybe some S4 sections?

https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/p ... ns-2613466
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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GeekyJames wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 18:58 The local paper in Worthing has noticed the A27 Worthing "improvement" is in RIS2 - HE still committed to the scheme but will they make any changes to the current plans? Maybe some S4 sections?

https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/p ... ns-2613466
I doubt that a full "bypass" (i.e. something alike to expressway standards) would be funded as part of RIS2, or even as RIS3. Maybe looking at RIS4 or 5 for an expressway alike road around (and/or under) Worthing to be funded. I'd think that these works as currently planned (making junctions have larger throughput) are to allow the A27 (and local roads) in Worthing and Lancing to be able to cope with traffic level between the Arundel Bypass being built, and a future Worthing Bypass being built.
A Worthing & Lancing Bypass would cost in excess of £500m, maybe closer to £1b.
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jackal
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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I think it might be less than that. A bypass is only around 4 miles if you trace a line between the DCs either side of Worthing via the gap at Findon. But there would be environmental and heritage concerns as well as NIMBYISM (National Park, Cissbury Ring, golf courses...).
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jervi
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by jervi »

jackal wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 20:10 I think it might be less than that. A bypass is only around 4 miles if you trace a line between the DCs either side of Worthing via the gap at Findon. But there would be environmental and heritage concerns as well as NIMBYISM (National Park, Cissbury Ring, golf courses...).
It might be short, but I'd say that environmental mitigations would be quite costly. I'd be surprised if it could be built with no parts being tunneled (Cissbury Ring, Lancing Ring & spurs from the SDNP), 1992 plans show tunnels (i'd suspect bored) at Cissbury Ring, but in over 35 years between this report and any potential look at bypassing, the general environment concerns of people have increased, so more tunnels. Also I'd suspect it to be built to either D2 with room for easy widening to D3, or as D3 off the bat. On top of that there is little room for a tie-in junction between Lancing (or the new Ikea roundabout) and the Adur viaduct/junction. So there would need to be sustainable works on the 1968 Adur Viaduct.

Also for comparison, Arundel bypass is looking at between £255m to £420m for a shorter bypass (6km). Lowered end of budget for embankment/bridge across Arun, Upper end of budget for viaduct across Arun. Worthing/Lancing Bypass from Clapham Jnct to Arun Jnct, which would be likely the route built is nearly 12km. Suggesting that without any major structures it would cost at minimum £500m (prob more due to vertical alignment works), and with tunnels (let's say 2km in total) would easily put another £500m on the price tag. That's why I'd say £1b
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jackal
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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That's twice the length of the route I was describing. It would be nice to get Lancing done as well but the situation there is not as dire as the road is already D2/S4. So I'm basically suggesting a curtailed version of the 90s 'south of Cissbury' or red route.

Btw, there's no way a D3 bypass would ever be needed. The HE projections were that a bypass or tunnel without intermediate junctions would have a minimal impact on the existing road. Less than 20k AADT would use it in such circumstances, maybe 30k with an intermediate junction at the A24, but still less than half D2 capacity. Just compare with the adjacent A27 AADT then deduct the traffic going to Worthing (i.e., lots of it).
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by GeekyJames »

Latest update from Highways England....https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/ ... mprovement

We have been working closely with key stakeholders to identify a package of potential improvements to meet the revised objectives in the government’s Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025, to improve the capacity and flow of traffic on the A27 from Worthing to Lancing.

In the coming months, we aim to identify options for the A27 Worthing and Lancing improvements scheme, before holding a public consultation in spring/summer 2022.

By the end of 2021, we plan to publish a document which summarises all historic work on various larger-scale improvement options, including a tunnel, bypass and grade-separated junctions.

The A27 Worthing and Lancing improvements scheme was reviewed in 2019. It was re-announced with revised objectives as part of the government’s Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025 in March 2020.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by jervi »

Intresting.
I was thinking about this a few days ago and surely a D2 (expessway standard) northern bypass with tunneled sections under Lancing & Worthing and maybe other locailised tunneled sections under spurs from the downs.
Toll the tunnels. Then make the current A27 less atractive to through traffic by reducing to S2/WS2 with a wide segerated cycle track. Maybe increase the number of traffic light controlled crossings and change timings at junctions to prioritse local routes and cycle infrastrucutre. Also a weight limit through the towns & national park.
East of Lancing - 1.5km
Lancing Tunnel - 3km
Between Lancing and Worthing - 3.6km
Spur to current A27 - 0.5km
Worthing Tunnel - 1.6km
West of Worthing - 1.8km
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Truvelo
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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Does that mean the large scale proposals are back on?
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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jervi wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 20:08Then make the current A27 less atractive to through traffic by reducing to S2/WS2
That won't take long!
Truvelo wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 20:09Does that mean the large scale proposals are back on?
It's hard to tell what it means. As far as I can tell it doesn't really mean anything. They say they'll publish a document by the end of 2021 that will summarise past proposals, but that doesn't imply any commitment to what the new proposals will be - it sounds rather like they'll be handing in an essay for their history homework.

The most definitive thing that HE statement says is that "The A27 Worthing and Lancing improvements scheme was reviewed in 2019. It was re-announced with revised objectives as part of the government’s Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025 in March 2020."

The re-announcement as part of RIS2 was, of course, when it turned up in the RIS2 policy document about 11 months ago. The RIS2 doc just says it is a "package of enhancements between Worthing and Lancing to improve the capacity and flow of traffic". That's set against other schemes that are quite specific about providing a dual carriageway bypass, adding a third lane, etc etc. Before that re-announcement, which contained no information whatsoever, was the 2018 consultation, in which the budget was £50-100m and all options involving grade separation were discarded before the consultation exercise even started because they were all too expensive. All options were junction changes and none even involved online dualling.

I would conclude that HE no longer know what they want to do about Worthing, and I would expect the amount of money available in the RIS2 pot is therefore quite small. A "package of enhancements" sounds to me like tinkering with kerb lines, road markings and signal timings. It's possible, though, that the report will recommend something longer term for RIS3 or beyond.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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Chris5156 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 21:58
jervi wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 20:08Then make the current A27 less atractive to through traffic by reducing to S2/WS2
That won't take long!
Truvelo wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 20:09Does that mean the large scale proposals are back on?
It's hard to tell what it means. As far as I can tell it doesn't really mean anything. They say they'll publish a document by the end of 2021 that will summarise past proposals, but that doesn't imply any commitment to what the new proposals will be - it sounds rather like they'll be handing in an essay for their history homework.

The most definitive thing that HE statement says is that "The A27 Worthing and Lancing improvements scheme was reviewed in 2019. It was re-announced with revised objectives as part of the government’s Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025 in March 2020."

The re-announcement as part of RIS2 was, of course, when it turned up in the RIS2 policy document about 11 months ago. The RIS2 doc just says it is a "package of enhancements between Worthing and Lancing to improve the capacity and flow of traffic". That's set against other schemes that are quite specific about providing a dual carriageway bypass, adding a third lane, etc etc. Before that re-announcement, which contained no information whatsoever, was the 2018 consultation, in which the budget was £50-100m and all options involving grade separation were discarded before the consultation exercise even started because they were all too expensive. All options were junction changes and none even involved online dualling.

I would conclude that HE no longer know what they want to do about Worthing, and I would expect the amount of money available in the RIS2 pot is therefore quite small. A "package of enhancements" sounds to me like tinkering with kerb lines, road markings and signal timings. It's possible, though, that the report will recommend something longer term for RIS3 or beyond.
If they start the process of figuring out what the end goal is for this section now, then it may start construction for RP3/4. Looking at how long it is taking for the consultation period for the Arundel Bypass, you can expect Worthing & Lancing to be much longer since it will be running in the "national park" and require a lot of engineering due to the terrain & other constraints. I'd expect from the first consultation of planning a proper bypass it will be a minimum 12 years until shovels are in the ground.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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Today IKEA announced that the new store located off the new A27 roundabout (still unbuilt, should start construction at end of this year) is not going ahead. Construction on the new store did start, however now the land is being sold. I'd presume another retailer will buy it, or it might just become another tin warehouse.

Also the new proposed roundabout access I believe it now changed to be a four-arm roundabout instead of a three-arm. So Coombes Road to the North at Sussex Pad will be diverted along its old alignment and beside the A27 to join the roundabout - which is inside the SDNP, SDNPA kicked up a whole storm about it too as they are just a tax-payer funded environmental pressure group.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by Phil »

jervi wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 16:56 Today IKEA announced that the new store located off the new A27 roundabout (still unbuilt, should start construction at end of this year) is not going ahead. Construction on the new store did start, however now the land is being sold. I'd presume another retailer will buy it, or it might just become another tin warehouse.

Also the new proposed roundabout access I believe it now changed to be a four-arm roundabout instead of a three-arm. So Coombes Road to the North at Sussex Pad will be diverted along its old alignment and beside the A27 to join the roundabout - which is inside the SDNP, SDNPA kicked up a whole storm about it too as they are just a tax-payer funded environmental pressure group.
Given the overall development includes some housing anyway and the general shortage of suitable sites in the area (Sandwiched between the sea and the SDNP) you could easily see the half built store taken down and more houses fill the rest of the site.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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For those interested I have finally added the plans for the 1992 proposals here. They are about half way down the page. I fear anything planned now is going to be nowhere near as comprehensive as these.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.

From the SABRE Wiki: A27/history :


The A27's route hasn't changed too much through this section. The original route used to run through the village of West End on what is now the B3035, where local parish signs at the junctions still label the route as A27. At Hedge End, the A27 would have headed east to pick up the route of what is now the A3051 at Botley until it met its current route near Swanwick. From here until Portsmouth, the only notable changes have been short by-passes at Segensworth, Titchfield and Fareham.

... Read More
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by jackal »

Thanks for that. Today the two rejected 1992 options seem more likely than the preferred route. Yes, it's a NP, but more realistic than all the demolition and disruption of the preferred 1992 online option IMO. As you say, it's more likely they will do something completely inadequate, though it is at least promising that they've been called out on their initial attempt to do just that.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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jackal wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 17:47 Thanks for that. Today the two rejected 1992 options seem more likely than the preferred route. Yes, it's a NP, but more realistic than all the demolition and disruption of the preferred 1992 online option IMO. As you say, it's more likely they will do something completely inadequate, though it is at least promising that they've been called out on their initial attempt to do just that.
I think today there are only really 3 decent options:
1&2, very similar to the previously rejected red and blue routes, tunnelling under Cissbury Ring
A 3rd option could be going even further north, around Findon, to avoid tunnelling under Cissbury, then joining up with the eastern section of the blue alignment
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by jackal »

An online bored tunnel for Worthing with Lancing surface bypass is also possible. TBMs have come a long way since 1992.
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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jackal wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 23:47 An online bored tunnel for Worthing with Lancing surface bypass is also possible. TBMs have come a long way since 1992.
Certainly so, but you would likely need at a minimum 1.7km (~1.07 miles) of tunnel for a more online route around Worthing
Hindhead cost around £155,000/metre in 2005 money I think?
Using the BoE inflation calc, that comes to around £240,000/metre
Rounding to £250,000/metre, it would cost in the region of £425 million for just that stretch of D2 tunnel

Although, a 2.25km tunnel is more likely (pushes the western portal to be west of Cote Street
That would be around £562 million

The biggest factor in any chosen alignment will be the cost. If it is costed to be cheaper to bore under Arundel Road, then it will likely be selected
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

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A3-Andrew wrote: Mon Mar 02, 2020 15:24 The current owners who bought it in the mid-00ies (horrible phrase) renamed it "Brighton City Airport."
Given that the name of the company who bought the lease in 2014 is Brighton City Airport Ltd that's no surprise but the number of commercial flights was already very low and since 2020 has been essentially zero with the exception of a service to the channel islands operated by a 9 seater turboprop Pilatus PC-12
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Re: A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement

Post by Micro The Maniac »

JammyDodge wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 23:30 I think today there are only really 3 decent options:
1&2, very similar to the previously rejected red and blue routes, tunnelling under Cissbury Ring
A 3rd option could be going even further north, around Findon, to avoid tunnelling under Cissbury, then joining up with the eastern section of the blue alignment
Nither are viable... look at Arundel, which barely touched the South Downs National Park, and here you are proposing to drive a road through (even if under) it... and I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the National Trust when you propose digging under Cissbury Ring :D

You might have got away with that in the 1960s but not today!
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