Work is expected to start in May on a long-awaited £4 million-flood-relief scheme.
The Environment Agency says if work starts on schedule, the scheme for Chichester will be fully-operational by the end of 2002.
The final go-ahead was given at a meeting in Worthing of the Sussex Flood Defence Committee.
The agency's Sussex area flood defence manager Rupert Clubb said today: "We are still discussing some of the finer points with landowners.
"The work will take two years to complete so Chichester will still have another winter to go without full protection."
The scheme involves an emergency relief channel to divert water from the River Lavant at times when it threatens to break its banks and pump it out to sea at the Pagham Rife.
The scheme has been in the planning stages since 1994 when Chichester suffered severe flooding and the Army had to build temporary bridges to keep traffic moving on the A27.
The operation also involves removing temporary bridges, sandbags and other flood protection equipment and is due to be completed by April 12.
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