Preferred option for Burgess Hill A2300 improvements revealed

Current preferred option for A2300 improvements between Burgess Hill and A23

The preferred option would see the road dualled from the A23 to a proposed new junction for the Northern Arc development.

An off-carriageway segregated pedestrian and cycle path would be constructed.

Job’s Lane would be stopped up, the Bolney Grange junctions would be converted to left-in left-out only, while the southern side of the A2300 would be upgraded to include merge/diverge tapers.

Improvements to the A2300 Burgess Hill link road are expected to take place. Pics Steve Robards SUS-150127-165753001

Changes would also be made to the Hickstead A23 interchange.

The preferred option is detailed in an outline transport business case prepared by consultants WSP for West Sussex County Council.

It is due to be submitted to the Government, which allocated £17million to the scheme ‘in principle’ back in January 2015, for consideration and feedback.

A full business case would have to be prepared at a later date.

A public consultation is estimated to take place in September this year, while construction could begin as soon as April 2020 and finish by March 2021.

According to consultants: “The scheme will create capacity for expected traffic growth, and will cope with planned and potential development to 2037.”

The improvements aim to reduce congestion, improve the predictability of journey times and provide more capacity for growth.

The A2300 is one of a limited number of routes connecting Burgess Hill to the strategic M23/A23 London to Brighton corridor and is an important route for people commuting to and from Burgess Hill.

The route suffers from congestion, queuing and delays. The situation is worst for eastbound traffic, especially in the morning peak period.

The worst affected locations are the northbound exit slip road from the A23 to the western A2300 dumbbell roundabout and the eastbound approach to the A2300/A273 junction.

A number of developments in and around the town are either planned or underway, strengthening the case for road improvements.

A science and technology park promoted by the University of Brighton and a separate business park are both planned, while the Northern Arc development is set to see more than 3,000 homes built north of Burgess Hill.

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