'We’re not out of the woods yet' - A29 reopens in West Sussex but traffic management remains in place

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has been leading the response to major flooding on the Bersted A-road, which had been closed since Monday, February 2.

The road had re-opened by 5pm on Friday (February 13).

“Works to reduce flood water on the A29 Shripney Road have continued, with over 12 million litres of water (the equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools) being pumped from the highway into a nearby ditch following agreement with the landowner,” a WSCC statement read.

"Now the standing water on the carriageway has been significantly reduced, we will monitor the site and continue to pump as and when required.

“There is a risk of the temperature dropping below freezing in the coming days so a reduced speed limit of 20mph will be in place through the area to ensure safety.

“While the pumping appears to have had a positive impact on the carriageway flooding, there is a risk that, should the area receive another period of heavy or sustained rainfall, the outlets we are using will be full and we will be unable to pump the water anywhere. Should this be the case, and the level of standing water rises again, we will unfortunately need to re-shut the road.”

At a meeting on Friday – with agencies including Arun District Council and the Environment Agency – WSCC put forward proposals to ‘lead on and fund investigative works’. With ‘support from our partners’, the aim is to ‘identify long-term solutions to this recurring and complex issue’.

The statement added: “This will build on previous investigations into the causes of flooding and the challenges of responding that we undertook following similar incidents in the winter of 2023 to 2024.

“We propose to commission a detailed review of the reasons for flooding in the area and establish the opportunities for reducing the extent and risk of further flooding and improve the resilience of the roads.”

Council contractors have installed a temporary ramp, over the flooding at Sack Lane, to ‘enable vehicle access for all residents’.

This will remain in place ‘until the weather conditions improve’, and the road is clear of flood water.

The ongoing flooding reflects long-standing issues in the area, according to county and district councillor Keir Greenway, a lifetime resident of Bersted. Following widespread flooding in October and November 2023, a formal Section 19 flood investigation examined why Shripney is particularly vulnerable.

Mr Greenway wrote on social media, on Friday: “I’m pleased to confirm that the A29 Shripney Road is now open.

“Pumps will remain on site and will continue diverting water into the nearby watercourse. To maintain safety, temporary ramps have been installed across the A29, and a 20mph speed limit will be in place. Temporary traffic lights will also be installed at Lindsey Bend due to flooding that remains on the southbound carriageway.

“Thank you again for your patience and understanding.”

The county and district councillor told this newspaper that he was ‘delighted’ to see the route back in use, but warned that the wider issues had not been resolved.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.

"We are at the mercy of the weather.”

Mr Greenway – who sits on the Arun Flood Forum – praised highways teams for their response, saying they had worked ‘around the clock’ to find a solution and get the road reopened. However, he stressed that momentum must not be lost once conditions improve.

“We can’t let this issue drop when the sun comes out,” he said. “We need to carry on doing the good work to bring about a solution, working across all agencies and political boundaries.”

The councillor said long-term investment from the Environment Agency would be key to preventing repeat incidents. He suggested measures such as dredging the rife, creating additional floodplain, or installing extra pumps further up the river system to speed up drainage in an area, he described as, ‘notoriously slow to drain’.

He had urged local MPs to lobby the Government for increased funding to allow such projects to move forward.

He added: “We need to see delivery.

“The issue hasn’t gone away just because the sun has come out.”

Mr Greenway also condemned reports of abusive behaviour towards staff during the disruption, including a car-related incident and an assault.

“It’s completely unacceptable,” he said. “I appreciate frustrations are high – I’m frustrated, we’re all frustrated – but abusing or assaulting staff who are there to try to keep people safe is completely unacceptable.”

Asked about the temporary measures now in place, Cllr Greenway confirmed the ramps, traffic lights and revised speed limit were operational. He said he had driven through the area on Monday morning (February 16) and found the system working, with drivers adhering to the restrictions.

“At the end of the day, it’s about getting people through and able to get to work, school and doctors’ appointments,” he said. “I’m happy with what they’re doing at the moment.”

He added that the focus should now be on securing a long-term strategy rather than engaging in party politics.

“This isn’t a time for pointing fingers,” he said. “It’s about working with those who want to get it done quickly and putting a long-term plan in place to see it through.”

The MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Alison Griffiths, visited the A29 with local highways officials to review flooding and ongoing response efforts on Thursday.

Mrs Griffiths emphasised that long-term solutions are needed.

She added: “It is clear that short-term action alone is not enough. The Aldingbourne Rife needs proper maintenance and dredging by the Environment Agency, and we need a long-term plan that reduces the risk of this happening again and again.

"I have written to the Secretary of State at Defra setting out the situation and asking what additional support and funding can be made available to address both immediate pressures and longer-term infrastructure concerns.”

The MP is also pressing for clarity on maintenance programmes, infrastructure condition, and future investment.

Her social media post concluded: “Thank you to everyone who has commented on my recent posts; there have now been well over 500 comments. The themes are clear: concerns about development in flood-prone areas, frustration at the pace of action, and the significant disruption caused when roads close, particularly alongside planned roadworks.

"I completely understand the frustration. Repeated flooding affects homes, businesses, traffic, and daily life. But I would also ask that we direct that frustration appropriately. The people working on the ground to manage the situation are doing their jobs in difficult conditions, and personal attacks on workers will not be tolerated.

“I will be attending a meeting bringing together West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council, the Environment Agency, Southern Water, and the local MPs to press for coordinated action and clear next steps. I will update residents further as soon as I can.”

West Sussex County Council said its highways teams were ‘making progress’, on Friday, responding to the impact of the severe weather on local roads.

A WSCC statement read: “Since the start of February, crews have cleared more than 3,000 drains and repaired more than 1,800 potholes. This builds on their work through January to prepare as much as possible for this recent period of rain.

“High levels of standing water are having a detrimental effect on road surfaces and we’re seeing a sharp increase in pothole reports coming through.

“We have increased resources to respond to safety defects throughout the week, evenings and weekends and brought in an additional drainage jetter to clear blocked drains and remove standing water.

“We are managing to keep the vast majority of our road network open and moving and we will continue this work with more rain and colder weather predicted.”

‘Longer term’, WSCC is ‘reviewing our resurfacing works programme’ to ‘ensure roads impacted by the weather get additional focus’.