New plans have been tabled for a Worthing-Lancing bypass to ease one of the A27's most serious bottlenecks.

Government transport consultants Halcrow said a road consisting of three short tunnels should bypass the existing A27, which is already severely congested.

Previous plans to widen the A27, putting the dual-carriageway in several deep cuttings, were shelved after widespread condemnation from campaigners who wanted a bypass across the Downs.

Since then, houses have been built along the A27, effectively ruling out any future proposals to widen the single-lane highway.

Halcrow has also renewed calls for an Arundel bypass, previously opposed by conservationists because it would cut through ancient woodland.

The latest proposals have infuriated the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, which said Halcrow's blueprint was unsustainable.

It argued that instead of building roads, the Government should be reducing the amount of traffic by concentrating on other forms of transport.