Highway Operations 2024/2025

A busy but effective year of maintaining the county’s road network

Figures for the 2024-2025 financial year have highlighted the significant progress made by WSCC’s highways team in improving the condition of the county’s 2,500 miles of road.

Between April 2024 and March 2025, the council’s highways team delivered a wide programme of essential reactive maintenance and proactive improvements including:  

• 44,767 potholes repaired, using durable methods such as ‘sawn and sealed’ patching and ‘spray injection patching’
• A decrease in the average time between receiving a report and repairing a pothole to just 14 days
• 36,031 sqm of small and medium scale patching

The overall number of defects identified and waiting to be repaired on the network are at some of the lowest levels in recorded years.

The team’s hard work has been reflected in the number of reports of defects, such as potholes or blocked drains being submitted by the public. In a clear sign of the improvement in the condition of the county’s road network, there has been a drop in reports from 69,669 last year to 53,574.

The highways team also delivered a variety of traffic related maintenance, including:

• 2,635 signs cleaned and cleared of overhanging vegetation
• 123,000 drainage gullies cleansed
• 63 small scale dranage schemes completed
• 27million sqm of grass verges cut

Increasing winter resilience by managing the county’s drainage assets

A relatively dry winter when compared to the previous two years allowed the County Council's contractor to utilise additional resource to maintain the county’s drainage assets in a serviceable condition through the winter months.

We operated 5 reactive jetting vehicles through the winter which were deployed to flooding locations reported by members of the public. In most cases the contractor was able to resolve the problem and ensure the asset was free flowing. 

Works continued on clearing our ditch network in rural areas and again this work had a positive impact on enabling surface water to drain from the highway. 

Our Riparian Drainage Team has been working with local landowners to resolve highway flooding caused by issues with the privately maintained ditch network in West Sussex.  This work is vital to ensure that the road network is not negatively impacted by flooding associated with drainage assets outside of the council’s responsibility. The team will shortly be issuing a Riparian Toolkit to aid our Parish and Town Council partners to monitor and police these issues on a more localised level.

The new Lyminster Bypass is now open

Motorists in West Sussex can now enjoy faster and more convenient journeys to and from Littlehampton and Bognor Regis on the Lyminster bypass which officially opened on Friday 9 May.  

The County Council worked with Jackson Civil Engineering to design and build the northern section which includes a 225-metre viaduct that is an engineering masterpiece, designed to endure and adapt to future climate challenges. With 96 foundation piles anchored deep into the chalk base, it guarantees stability and longevity.

Built on a floodplain, the viaduct features advanced flood management solutions, including a natural-looking swale and ponds to handle rainwater runoff.

Public Realm Improvements bring new look to Bognor Regis Esplanade

West Sussex County Council is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Bognor Regis Esplanade improvements. This significant milestone marks a major step forward in the ongoing regeneration of Bognor Regis seafront, which will see over £40 million of investment from public and private organisations.

The project has delivered several enhancements aimed at improving the accessibility, safety and aesthetic appeal of the Esplanade.

Ash Die Back

Identifying ash trees:

What is Ash Die Back?

Ash dieback is an invasive fungal disease that causes leaf loss and canopy decline and will significantly weaken the structure of a tree. Ash dieback attacks ash trees quickly and may kill a young tree in only a single year, but older trees may take a number of years to perish. There is currently no prevention or treatment available.

What to look for?

What WSCC do to tackle Ash Die Back

Ash trees are very common in West Sussex and Ash Dieback is so widespread that we can expect to see changes within our landscape. In 2020, WSCC launched the Ash Dieback Project to tackle the effects of Ash Dieback within the county. We are undertaking extensive county wide surveys of ash trees within falling distance of the highway, currently prioritising removal of the most dangerous trees along our highest used routes. Additionally, where possible we are informing private landowners of their responsibilities should their trees pose a risk to the highway.

Knowing your responsibilities as a landowner

Landowners may receive a letter advising them of ash trees on their land, however, this cannot be relied upon as the only form of awareness. Landowners have a legal responsibility to ensure that the risk posed by any trees on their land is appropriately managed. As a landowner you may be liable for any damage or injury caused should the tree/s fall into the highway or other land.

Donate a tree

Did you know that you can contribute to the cost of a new tree to be planted outside/near your property through the Donate a Tree scheme. Orders need to be received before July to secure planting in November to End February. If your chosen species is suitable for the are, the cost covers the acquisition of the tree from a reputable company, planting and undertaking a three-year cyclical maintenance plan.  Just fill out the form on the web, and we will do the rest.

Please note: With all new trees planted, we ask that you water them, especially during periods of dry weather.

Child Car Seat Safety

A child car seat is a legal requirement for all children travelling in the front or rear of any car, van or goods vehicle, until they are either 135cm tall or 12 years old (whichever they reach first). 

Children are proportioned differently to adults; their bones are not fully formed, and their skeletal structure does not cover and protect their internal organs in the way it does adults. A child's neck and head need greater support.

Evidence suggests that car seats are very effective in preventing death and serious injury in children involved in collisions and therefore using the correct child car seat at different stages throughout childhood, is essential. Although most guidelines will advise that young children can be moved from a rear-facing to a front-facing car seat after 15 months, it is strongly recommended to keep them in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible - until they can no longer fit comfortably.

Never use a second-hand car seat or continue using one that has been involved in a collision, as this could significantly compromise its functionality and safety.

For further information with regards to child car seats, please visit: RoSPA - Our guide to choosing the right car seat

For regular Road Safety advice go to our WSCC Road Safety Facebook page.

WSP Volunteering Activities

WSP are consultants in highway and engineering design and are contracted to work with the county council. They volunteer and deliver social value across the county, carrying out activities such as preserving wildlife habitats, volunteering with charities or working with schools to deliver career fairs/talks to name a few. A few recent highlights of their work include:

Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group

The charity focuses on preserving wildlife habitats on the Manhood Peninsula. In October 2024, four WSP colleagues volunteered at Triangle Pond in Birdham, helping to clear vegetation and add bark and chippings to the path. Their work aimed to improve the habitat for water voles and other aquatic creatures.

Pagham Harbour Conservation Area

In February 2025, a team of WSP volunteers under the supervision of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) helped clear over a quarter of the vegetation in the Pagham Harbour Conservation Area. The volunteers visited Tern Island, which is part of the internationally important wetland site for wildlife such as Blackheaded Gull, Little Tern, Common Tern, and Sandwich Tern.

Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital

On 4 July 2025, volunteers will attend Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, which cares for injured and orphaned British wildlife before releasing them back into the wild. They will be helping with tasks such as cleaning enclosures, site maintenance, and outdoor upkeep as the hospital gears up for their busiest season.

Scheme Updates

Planned works to deliver Community Highway Scheme at A273 Clayton Hill, Clayton / Pyecombe

Following the application for a Community Highway Scheme (CHS), two pedestrian islands have been constructed at:

• Junction of the B2112 and A273
• A273 north of the junction with Underhill Lane.

The scheme, which includes the introduction of a 40mph speed limit, will provide better crossing facilities for pedestrians. (please see image below). Works are planned to take place from 12 May to 20 June 2025 between 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. Some delays are to be expected as the works will be using temporary traffic signals which may cause some delay. This is to ensure the site is safe to pass through. Further details can be found on one.network .

Please plan your journey in advance and look out for important safety signs along your route. If you have any concerns regarding access during these works please ask the onsite staff, your safety is our priority.

Please Note: These works will not interfere with the planned London to Brighton Bike Ride 2025 on the 15 of June 2025.

Junction Improvement Works at Cedar Avenue / Rocky Lane, Haywards Heath

Improvement works at the Cedar Avenue junction with Rocky Lane (A272) will begin on 9 June, running through to 15 August 2025 between 8 am – 4 pm with traffic management in place.

The junction is being widened to improve safety and reduce potential conflict between road users and pedestrians by improving sightlines as well as creating a better, safer crossing point. Work will involve relocating significant utility infrastructure beneath the road surface to accommodate the improvements.

The proposed changes will be delivered by West Sussex County Council’s contractor, Landbuild, alongside several key utility providers including SGN, UK Power Networks, BT, Virgin Media and South East Water. The various utility works will take place in a collaborative manner to minimise disruption where possible.             

Advance warning signs via will be in place from 27 May 2025, we’ll also be letter dropping to those residents we believe will be most affected by the works ahead of construction.

Installation of a new drainage system in Burgess Hill's A273 Jane Murray Way

From 2 to 27 June 2025, essential works will take place to install a new drainage system to collect surface water from the land south of B&Q. The drainage will run through Mid Sussex District Council land and discharge into a new filter drain on the southern verge of Jane Murray Way.

These works will help alleviate flooding on the A273 Jane Murray Way and within the nearby industrial estate around William Way.

Work will take place between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm daily, with traffic managed by two-way lights. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience while these improvements are made. For further updates and details, please visit one.network.

Road safety improvements in Bognor Regis and Crawley

West Sussex County Council has converted an existing segregated footway cycleway into a shared cycleway around Orchard Way Roundabout in Bognor and its connection points. This scheme originated from concerns raised following cycle collisions. Works included:

• Resurfacing
• Vegetation clearance
• Tree crown lifting
• Signage upgrade.

These improvements will benefit pedestrians and cyclists using the roundabout. 

Another road safety scheme in Crawley involved replacing outdated directional signs at all entry points to the A23/A2011 Tushmore Gyratory. The work also included updating lane destination markings and clearing vegetation around the junction.

Gatwick Road Roundabout to Hazelwick Roundabout, Crawley

West Sussex County Council recently completed resurfacing works in Crawley from Gatwick Road Roundabout to Hazelwick Roundabout and all adjoining side roads (entrances).

Improved public transport satisfaction

We're proud to share that satisfaction with bus services in West Sussex has improved to 86% following the results of the 2024 Transport Focus survey. And Compass Travel were the second most highly rated bus operator of the 61 included in the survey.

In the 2024 National Highways and Transport Network survey, West Sussex bus passengers have reported increased satisfaction with bus safety, bus accessibility and cleanliness.

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