New 13km path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders

The A27 is key route along the south coast and sees thousands of road users every day.

Delays and congestion were common. This stretch of road was quite narrow in areas and there were only a few places for walkers, cyclists and horse riders to cross safely. 

We’ve made changes to improve safety and the flow of traffic by putting in new crossings, adding lanes at key junctions, and building a 13km shared-use path from Firle in the west to Polegate in the east.

Since opening this year, the path been a popular hit with walkers, cyclists and horse riders of all ages and abilities. The route follows the A27 for almost nine miles, connecting local communities and providing greater accessibility to nearby places and businesses – including the South Downs National Park.

Halfway along the route, the path crosses the Cuckmere River. Congratulations to Tracey Styles, winner of our bridge naming competition. The new Rampion bridge pays tribute to the county flower of Sussex which can be seen across this beautiful landscape.

As well as making improvements on the road, we’ve been working with Natural England and the South Downs National Park Authority to protect and enhance the local environment.

We’ve planted more than 3,000 new trees which have created new habitats for beetles, bats, frogs, and rare birds such as siskins. We’ve also added 32,000 plants along the route which will establish into new hedgerows – a great habitat for dormice and other protected species.

We would like to say thank you to everyone for their patience and support during our work and hope you will enjoy the benefits of our scheme for many years to come.

For more information about projects across the south east, visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-east/