Angmering By-pass Opens

Highway engineers are working on a package of features aimed at persuading more motorists to use the new road, rather than drive through the centre of the village.

First impressions are that, while the road is taking away much of the southbound traffic, many drivers heading north from Rustington and Littlehampton are continuing to follow the old route through Angmering, in spite of a new sign directing them to the bypass.

Even so, the opening of the bypass was likened to Angmering winning the lottery, by county council cabinet member Tex Pemberton, who cut a red ribbon at Friday's official ceremony before traffic began flowing for the first time. Within 24 hours the road saw its first accident.

And John King, chairman of Angmering Parish Council, said: "It's a great day. We have been working on this bypass for about 15 years. The four of us still on the council from that time thought we would never live to see it become reality.

"It will be beneficial to the village. We have been standing here, watching cars pouring down the bypass, traffic which would have been going through the village centre before.

"We are still talking about traffic calming in the village centre and hopefully that will be in place by this October."

The traffic calming proposals, including weight restrictions, "pinch points" and gateway features, are on view at the parish council office, The Square, from 9am-1pm weekdays.

Developers of 600 new homes at Roundstone Lane, Angmering, paid for construction of the bypass, by John Reilly Civil Engineering Ltd. The land was bought by the county council.

lJUST 22 hours after the new bypass was opened, it was closed again for an hour after an accident at the junction with Water Lane.

A driver travelling north on the A280 by-pass collided with a car coming in the other direction, which was turning into Water Lane.

A pregnant woman and a man were taken to hospital with minor injuries.