Following the announcement of the cancellation of the planned Stonehenge Tunnel, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has now revealed that the bypass to take traffic on the A27 away from Arundel in West Sussex has also been scrapped, as the new Labour government insisted it had inherited a projected overspend of £21.9bn from the Conservatives.
National Highways said making changes to the road would reduce congestion, increase road capacity and improve safety. Ms Reeves told the House of Commons: “If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it.”
A plan for an A27 Arundel bypass in West Sussex was estimated to cost at least £320m. It had been put on hold by the previous government until 2025, says the BBC.
The chancellor said the spending audit had revealed “£1bn of unfunded transport projects” committed to next year. She said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh will undertake a “thorough” review of them.
Ms Reeves added: “As part of that work, she has agreed not to move forward with projects the previous government refused to publicly cancel despite knowing full well that they were unaffordable. That includes proposed work on the A303 and the A27.”
(Pic – National Highways)
