Date set for opening of £50m bypass

The bypass will help ease congestion, boost the local economy and provide north-south access from the A27, said the council

A date has been set for the opening of a £50m bypass in West Sussex.

The newly-constructed A284 Lyminster Bypass (North) is due to open to public traffic at 14:00 BST on 9 May.

It was due to open in autumn last year but was delayed due to "bad weather".

Councillor Joy Dennis, cabinet member for highways and transport at West Sussex County Council (WSCC), said the "important new road" aims to support the local economy and improve the network in West Sussex.

"It will make it much easier to reach Littlehampton and Bognor Regis from the A27 by taking heavy traffic away from Lyminster and Wick villages," she added.

The council said the bypass also aims to provide "better and safer" routes to Littlehampton for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.

Built on a flood plain, the new road has a 225m viaduct spanning Black Ditch, an ancient waterway, to allow for potential changes to water levels due to future climate change, the council added.

The bypass is also linked to the provision of 1,260 new homes.

The project was delivered by the council and Jackson Civil Engineering, with partial funding from the Department for Transport.