West Sussex Highways has been tackling a surge in flooding, fallen trees and potholes following prolonged heavy rain across the county.
Councillor Joy Dennis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We appreciate that disruption on the roads is never welcome.
“We are doing all we can to keep the roads open and repair any damage caused by the extreme weather. Please bear with us as, although we have crews operating in all weathers, there will be times where we can’t rectify every situation straight away.
“As soon as the weather improves we will be working to resolve all issues caused as well as investigating longer term solutions where needed.”
The council said this winter has brought freezing temperatures alongside heavy and consistent rainfall, with some areas recording double the average for January.
During the most recent storm, highways teams responded to 81 emergency callouts, including 31 related to flooding.
Other incidents involved fallen trees, hazardous debris and damaged infrastructure.
Crews have been working around the clock to keep roads clear and manage safety risks.
Where it is safe to do so, roads will be kept open with flood warning signage in place. Where there is a risk to safety, full closures will be in place with signposted diversions. Residents are urged to:
- Avoid driving through floodwater
- Report significant hazards via the usual emergency channels
- Follow updates issued through official communication channels
Flooding has not been the only concern.
The combination of freezing and wet conditions has led to a rise in potholes, with 3,725 repair jobs logged so far in January.
This is around 1,000 more than the same period last year, though still fewer than over 7,000 recorded in January 2023.
Pothole repairs are prioritised based on severity, with a target of completing repairs within 28 days for the least severe defects.
In December, the average repair time was just 12 days.
The council has increased the number of repair crews, introduced ‘twilight crews’ to extend working hours and deployed teams on Saturdays to manage the additional work.
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