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14 October 2000
The first phase has been completed successfully, and on schedule. Phase 2a is now underway.
26 October 2000
We have not received any updates from Costain this week. However, today saw the first tarmac being laid on the westbound carriageway. The widening of the road is becoming obvious, and there has been some local controversy over the felling of trees and bushes on the southern side to accomodate the widening. Some replanting has been promised - further details will be published when available.
31 October 2000
Controversy has been sparked by the removal of several trees bordering the southern edge of the dual carriageway by Dankton Lane. The Highways Agency have stated that they were given the chop in order to get equipment to areas that needed work. They have promised to plant new trees as replacements.
22 November 2000
Altering the traffic flow over the weekend at the Lyons Farm traffic lights caused a major headache for many drivers. The rephasing of the lights by Monday evening (20 Nov) has improved the situation. The recent heavy rain has inevitably delayed the works, and caused the schedule to change.
There will be restricted access onto the A27 at Hillbarn from the end of this week, but by then the contraflow at Lyons Farm should be back to its previous layout.
13 December 2000
The works are currently behind schedule by 28 days. Unsurprisingly, the exceptionally bad weather throughout the entire contract to date is essentially to blame. Also partly to blame has been the poor state of the subsoil beneath the old road, and maps of underground services (particularly drainage, which resulted in the loss of many trees) being incorrect.
More positive news is that the layby is now nearly completed, the southern verge has been seeded (with tree planting to follow), and work on the eastbound carriageway is restricted to drainage work on the north, and the central reservation. This means that when work ceases for Christmas on 19 December, the whole of the Sompting by-pass will be restored to a two-lane dual carriageway in both directions, although it is anticipated the 40mph speed restriction will still apply.
For the future, work is planned to recommence on 3 January 2001, one week earlier than previously scheduled, to help try and catch up. Most of the difficult work on the junctions at Lyons Farm and Hillbarn has been completed, which means that the worst of the delays and hold-ups are now over.
19 December 2000
As promised, the A27 Sompting bypass has been returned to a two-lane dual carriageway for the Christmas break.
4 January 2001
Works restarts apace on the Eastbound Carriageway. Contraflow on Westbound, but all junctions remain open.
8 January 2001
Major chaos throughout Lancing, Sompting and Worthing as a gas pipe is nicked by contractors. The main A27 and West Street were both closed from around 4pm to 7.30pm whilst the leak was fixed, causing major gridlock.
15 January 2001
9am Monday morning, and again the A27 is closed due to a major gas leak in the roadworks. West Street remained open, but for the second time in a week rush-hour gridlock hit the area. More details and photos.
15 February 2001
Midway through February, and the end is now in site. The eastbound carriageway is now nearly finished, and is intended to be open for the most part by the weekend (17/18 February). The Busticle Lane junction is all but finished - work now is being started on the Lyons Farm junction. The work is on target to be finished by the end of the month, and life can return to normal.
24 February 2001
Restrictions at the Hillbarn junction (no right-turn from Eastbound carriageway into Busticle Lane) whilst anti-skid surface is put in place.
26 February 2001
5 months of work almost completed, and both carriageways are fully opened, and speed restrictions lifted. A few minor works are still to be carried out, but the road is now properly functional!
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