Status- Located in
- Area 4
- Scheme type
- Programme of Major Schemes
00001
The Project
Please note that the ‘Targeted Programme of Improvement (TPI)’ is now known as the ‘Programme of Major Schemes’.
The
Highways Agency plans to improve the A23 Trunk Road between Handcross
and Warninglid, south of Crawley, in West Sussex. The proposed
improvements are broadly along the line of the existing A23 and draft
Orders and an Environmental Statement detailing the proposals were
published on 24th October 2008.
Key features of the scheme proposals now published are:
- Approximately
3.8km of dual three-lane carriageway to replace the existing dual
two-lane carriageway between Handcross and Warninglid junctions located
generally within the existing highway boundary. There will be no
carriageway lighting or laybys - Closure of direct local residential and commercial accesses and provision of alternative access routes to improve safety.
- Revised
junctions at Handcross, Slaugham and Warninglid including relocation
and improvement of the weighbridge site at Handcross. - A two way service road from Warninglid to provide access to commercial and residential properties on the west side of the A23.
- Footway and cycleway between Handcross and Warninglid.
- Two lanes to be kept open in each direction during construction.
- An estimated range forecast cost of £76 million to £105 million.
Recent Developments
Detailed
scheme proposals were published in draft Orders under the Highways Act
in October and November 2008 and were open for comment and objection
until 23rd January 2009. An Environmental Statement which assesses the
environmental effects of the scheme and explains what we would do to
reduce these effects was also published and open for comment until 23rd
January. An Addendum to the Environmental Statement covering a
re-assessment of the affects of Noise and Vibration was published on
23rd March 2009 and is open for comment until 22nd May 2009. A Further
Addendum was published on 23rd April and is open for comment until 11th
June 2009.
The draft Orders and Environmental Statement can be
obtained from the Highways Agency, Major Projects (South), Federated
House, London Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SZ. Public notices relating
to the Orders and the Inquiry can be found on the Publications
page. The Environmental Statement and the Addendums on Noise and
Vibration can be purchased from the Highways Agency’s Dorking Office
either on paper or on CD and are available to download from the link
below.
Over
150 letters and Emails were received in response to the publication of
the draft Orders including 16 alternative suggestions to the published
scheme. As a consequence it was announced on 30th January 2009 that a
Public Inquiry will be held. A Brochure outlining some of the
Alternatives received was published on 1st May 2009 and can be found on
the Publications
page. A second brochure with the remaining alternatives will be
published shortly when details of them have been agreed with the
individuals who suggested them. Comments on all the alternative
suggestions are invited as soon as possible and by 5th June 2009 at the
latest, to the Highways Agency’s office at Dorking.
The Public
Inquiry will be held before an independent Inspector, Mr Colin Tyrrell,
who has been appointed by the Secretaries of State on the nomination of
the Planning Inspectorate. The Inquiry will be held at Slaugham Manor
Training and Conference Centre, Slaugham, RH17 6AJ and will start at
10.00am on Tuesday 16th June 2009. A Pre-Inquiry Meeting to discuss
arrangements for the Public Inquiry was held by the Inspector on 21st
April 2009.
Subject to a satisfactory outcome from the Inquiry
we hope to start advanced mitigation works in the Summer of 2010 and
the main works in the Summer of 2011. The scheme will take about two
and a quarter years to build.
background information:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/20530.aspx
publications:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4002.aspx
preferred route announcement:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4001.aspx
contact details and map:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4000.aspx