Worthing town centre in gridlock as emergency roadworks lead to one-way road revocation

Engineering difficulties during work on the Worthing Heat Network led to an emergency road closure at the junction of Chatsworth Road and High Street on Wednesday, February 12.

The eastbound one-way road has had to be altered to two-way traffic as a result and three-way lights at the junction with Chapel Road have been put in place.

Information for road users provided by Herniko on Causeway one.network states: "Emergency road closure at the junction with High Street, one way revocation, temporary parking suspension of bays outside and opposite number 5, parking suspension of bays outside KFC and multiway lights at the junction with Chapel Road to facilitate traffic movements.

"This is due to engineering difficulties, namely existing buried apparatus at the junction of High Street for the Worthing Heat Network."

Dates given suggest the system will remain in place until March 5.

With the lights being close to the Richmond Road traffic lights, it is causing tailbacks in the circular one-way system.

Traffic is having to wait to exit from Liverpool Gardens, leading to tailbacks in Liverpool Road that stretch right round to South Street, where buses need to exit to head north up Chapel Road.

Explaining the works, Worthing Borough Council has previously said: ”To bring the Worthing Heat Network and its decarbonising benefits to life, a range of infrastructure, both underground and above, will need to be developed.

"Hemiko will need to dig up roads and pavements across the town to install its network of underground pipes. The low-carbon energy company is working closely with West Sussex County Council's highways team to ensure that construction will cause as little disruption to road and pavement users as possible.

"There will be various traffic management programmes in place, to protect both road users and Hemiko's working operatives. The works will result in a handful of lane closures, temporary traffic lights, one-way diversions and road closures, affecting Lyndhurst Road, Union Place, High Street, Chapel Road, Park Road and Richmond Road.

"Hemiko says it will sequence the work to ensure that high season traffic can flow, and the town can thrive in its busy summer period. Some bus routes will be affected, but the low-carbon energy company aims to be as efficient as possible, working on weekends and extended days to minimise the impact.”