A259 road

Infobox road
marker_

state=United Kingdom
highway_name=A259
name_notes=
type= A road (Primary Route)
route= Emsworth to Folkestone
alternate_name=
maint=Highways Agency
section=(Between Pevensy
and Brenzett)
length_mi=
length_round=
length_ref=
length_notes=
established=
decommissioned=
direction_a= West
terminus_a= Emsworth, Hampshire
beltway_city=
junction= ukmotorwaysmall|20
ukroadsmall|20
ukroadsmall|21
ukroadsmall|22
ukroadsmall|23
gbroadsmall|24
ukroadsmall|26
ukroadsmall|27
ukroadsmall|29
ukroadsmall|261
ukroadsmall|268
ukroadsmall|269
ukroadsmall|280
ukroadsmall|283
ukroadsmall|284
ukroadsmall|289
ukroadsmall|2010
ukroadsmall|2021
ukroadsmall|2023
ukroadsmall|2025
ukroadsmall|2032
ukroadsmall|2033
ukroadsmall|2036
ukroadsmall|2070
ukroadsmall|2101
ukroadsmall|2102
ukroadsmall|2270
ukroadsmall|2290
direction_b= East
terminus_b= Folkestone
counties= Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent
rural_municipalities=
cities= Bexhill-on-Sea
Brighton
Bognor Regis
Chichester
Eastbourne
Folkestone
Hastings
Worthing
Rye
Shoreham-by-Sea
system=
spur_type=
spur_of=
previous_type= 'A Road'
previous_route= A27
next_type='A Road'
next_route= A20
browse=
commons=
customcommons=

The A259 is a major road in England, running along the south coast, with part of the A259 running almost parallel to the A27 road. The A259 runs east from Emsworth in Hampshire, into West Sussex via Chichester, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Ferring, Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Portslade And East Sussex via Brighton, Hove, Peacehaven, Newhaven, Seaford, Eastbourne, Pevensey, Bexhill, Hastings and Rye. Over the border in Kent, it continues through New Romney and Hythe to terminate at Folkestone.

Between Pevensey and Brenzett (where the A259 meets the A2070), the A259 becomes a section of the "South Coast Trunk Road". Unusually for a trunk road, the A259 is almost entirely single-carriageway, with only a 1 km stretch of urban dual carriageway in Bexhill. Bypasses have been proposed for virtually all of the settlements on the trunk and former trunk sections, but all have been shelved.

Part of the road in Hastings forms part of the Ring road.

Of note is that the road passes through the town of Winchelsea, England's first new town.

The section between Brenzett and Folkestone was de-trunked in 2003 (i.e. removed trunk road status), and thus reverted to the control of Kent County Council. The A2070 now takes over the South Coast Trunk Road for its final section to the M20 motorway from Brenzett to Hamstreet and Ashford, Kent.

Landmarks on the route

*Butlins South Coast World in Bognor Regis
*Shoreham Power Station
*West Pier in Brighton
*Telscombe Cliffs near Peacehaven and Saltdean
*Cuckmere Haven between Seaford & Eastbourne

Current Improvement

Proposed Improvements

The A259 east of Pevensey is a twisty single carriageway with few dualled stretches.Bexhill and Hastings are both major bottlenecks on the route.Plans to bypass every settlement on the route have been shelved.The A259 east of Hastings has been named the 'Worst Trunk Road' and the 2nd most dangerous road in the south east . [ [http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20080627_GB_High_RISK_Regional.pdf Highest risk road sections in each UK Government Office Region (2004-2006)] ] [ [http://www.arguslite.co.uk/display.var.2370697.0.the_most_dangerous_road_in_sussex_is_named.php The most dangerous road in Sussex is named] ] .East of Hastings these bypasses have been proposed:

* "Guestling and Icklesham bypass"
* "Winchelsea bypass"
* "Rye bypass"
* "Ham Street bypass"
* "A259 New Romney bypass"
* "A259 St. Mary's Bay and Dymchurch bypass"Although these have all been shelved, improvements have still been proposed. [ [http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/yourcouncil/agendasreportsminutes/cabinet/transportandtheenvironmentdecisions/reports/LMTE6Dec2004A259.pdf] ] [ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198889/cmhansrd/1989-07-13/Writtens-3.html House of Commons Hansard Debates for 13 Jul 1989] ]

Hastings and Bexhill bypass

The most controversial of these was the Hastings/Bexhill bypass which would be a dualled bypass costing £120-£130 million.From Pevensey roundabout, the section of A259 between there and Bexhill would be brought up to a dual 2 lane dual carriageway,Later on the road would head to the north of Bexhill and Hastings to join the current A259 near Icklesham.The bypass has been rejected which has delighted conservationists but angered many residents [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1172275.stm Hastings/Bexhill bypass 'flawed' - BBC news] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1435902.stm Ruling Splits Opinion - BBC news] ]

Bexhill to Hastings link road

The Bexhill to Hastings link road will form a 5km long road from its junction with the A259 in Bexhill to a junction with the B2092 Queensway in Hastings. [cite web|url=http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/bexhillhastingslinkroad/default.htm
title=Bexhill to Hastings link road|publisher=East Sussex County Council|accessdate=2008-01-21] [ [http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/documents/factsheet/30.pdf] ] which would "damage the beautiful and tranquil Combe Haven Valley and lead to infill development" [cite web|url=http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/campaigns/climate_change/roads/proposals|title=Roads - proposals|publisher=Campaign for Better Transport|accessdate=2008-01-21] The road will be single carriageway which has received complaints.

Road Safety

In June 2008, a 19km stretch of the A259 between Hastings and Eastbourne was named as the most dangerous road in the South East of England. [ [http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20080627_GB_High_RISK_Regional.pdf Highest risk road sections in each UK Government Office Region (2004-2006)] ] [ [http://www.arguslite.co.uk/display.var.2370697.0.the_most_dangerous_road_in_sussex_is_named.php The most dangerous road in Sussex is named] ] This single carriageway stretch had 47 fatal and serious injury collisions between 2004 and 2006, and was rated as Red -- the second highest risk band -- in the EuroRAP report publish by the Road Safety Foundation.

External links

* [http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/r10/notes.php?number=A259 A259 Folkestone-Havant] — From SABRE's "Roads By 10".
* [http://www.hastingsalliance.com/ Hastings Alliance] Opposition to the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road
* [http://www.eurorap.org/gb2008 EuroRAP GB Tracking Survey Results 2008]
* [http://www.roadsafetyfoundation.com/ Road Safety Foundation]

References