Three sets of temporary traffic lights are operating within a mile of each other in Lancing – at Brooklands; the South Street roundabout and Grinstead Lane.
Stagecoach South issued a travel notice on X this morning (Thursday, October 17).
It read: “We’ve currently got severe delays and possible cancellations on our Coastliner 700 and Pulse Service heading towards Brighton and Lancing due to various sets of roadworks in the Lancing area. We’re so sorry if this is impacting your journey.”
Multiple motorists have expressed their frustration on social media.
Sue Stickings was among those to leave a comment on the Worthing Herald Facebook page.
She wrote: “Absolutely ridiculous. Took an hour to get from Shoreham-By-Sea to the industrial estate this morning, then back, then again back again. Ludicrous.
“Who in their right mind decided to allow all these sets of temporary lights in on strip of road? The A259 Lancing has always got roadworks on it in one form or another.”
Emma Jarvis said: “Frustrating is not the word I would use, luckily I can work at home the rest of this week after it took an hour and a half to get to Worthing from Hove by bus on Tuesday morning, causing me to be 45 minutes late for a 9am meeting.”
Amanda Gibbs said Worthing was ‘gridlocked as well’, adding that it took 40 minutes ‘to do an eight-minute journey’.
Danielle Denyer-Scopes wrote: “Just taken me 50 mins to get from Worthing through the Brooklands ones. It’s horrendous. Was late for school pick up because of it.”
The county council explained the work that is causing the disruption.
A spokesperson said: “The work to upgrade the pedestrian crossing at the busy junction of Western Road and Brighton Road in Lancing is necessary to improve safety for pedestrians and all other road users and has been planned months in advance as part of the council’s 2024-2025 schedule of works.
“The other roadworks currently underway in the area are being carried out by utilities companies who have the legal right to access, maintain and install their apparatus in the public highway and some of these are being carried out as an emergency response.
“Every application for works on the highway is made to the council’s Streetworks team by the organisation carrying out the work.
“As the highway authority, we make every effort to coordinate planned works to cause the least amount of disruption, but emergency works cannot be planned for. We understand that this can cause pressure on the busy network and apologise to residents affected by the traffic delays.”