A BUSY stretch of road which has been plagued by improvement works for the last two years has finally fully reopened.

The improvements on the A23 between Handcross and Warninglid became a reality yesterday when a new third lane opened.

The Highways Agency has widened the A23 to make journeys quicker and safer and to improve access to Gatwick.

The £79 million project is part of a record investment in roads in the South East – the largest since the 1970s.

It took more than one million man hours to complete the project, which saw motorists adhere to 40mph in the construction zone.

The new stretch of road includes an underground tunnel for wildlife to cross and an overhead bat wire that leads to woodland. Work to resurface the A23 either side of the improved sections will continue to November using overnight carriageway closures.

Resurfacing will be carried out between 8pm and 6am.

Clearly signed diversions will be in place via the A264, A24 and A272.

The Argus: David Cameron

David Cameron says

I AM delighted to write for The Argus in the week that the upgraded A23 has opened to motorists.

For too long, the carriageway between Handcross and Warninglid, was not fit for purpose. Today, however, the 70,000 people who use this road each day have the infrastructure they need. And not only is it on time – it’s under budget. 

This is yet another piece in the jigsaw of our long-term plan to turn Britain around. Our plan centres on the Government delivering the security of a job, the chance to own your own home, better living standards, a decent quality of life and dignity in retirement.

Much of that depends on good transport links. That is why we are making the biggest investment in our roads since the 1970s, including this £80 million project. 

And it’s paying off – for every pound we put in, the economy will get eight pounds back. 

For years, people in this country felt they were not getting out what they put in. They put in work, long hours, early starts, but felt insecure in their jobs, taxed to the hilt, and lacking decent public services. This Government is changing that. We have one aim – to create a country everyone is proud to call home. 

You can see that taking shape in Brighton. 264,000 more people in the South East have the security of a job since the last election, 3.6 million people have more money to spend thanks to our income tax cuts and Brighton’s 36,000 retired residents have control over their pensions thanks to our reforms. 

People are getting around more easily, thanks to investment in buses, cycle lanes and the Brighton Station upgrade.

Britain’s economic future is not yet secure. We need to take difficult decisions if we are to achieve full employment, abolish youth unemployment, eliminate the deficit and deliver infrastructure.

Motorists put up with the disruption of these roadworks for two years, but it will be worth it. It’s the same with our recovery. The British people have made sacrifices after the deepest recession since the war. But it will be worth it. We will secure that better future, for Brighton and beyond.