Hearing the other day on the radio of the Highways Agency’s recent interest in resolving congestion problems on the A27 reminded me of a recent car journey through Worthing, where I spent a good deal of time trying to negotiate this nightmare location.

People of a certain age may recall an ambitious plan to turn a number of main roads, including the A27, into the Folkstone to Honiton Trunk Road back in the early 1980s.

The plan was to have a major road stretching from Kent all the way down to Devon. What actually happened was that in different locations, random limited stretches of the A27 were refurbished, or enlarged. Locally, many homes bordering the A27 in Worthing were compulsorily purchased in preparation for this super highway.

Years went by with no noticeable progress. Eventually a bizarre decision was made to resell these same houses, with no road improvements carried out, which no doubt the councils made a nice little earner out of.

At some point in the proceedings, permission was given to build several large superstores directly at a busy junction on the A27 at Lyons Farm, adding more delay to the flow of traffic.

To compound this, someone has now had the good idea of resiting a local further education college on the Broadwater Green roundabout, effectively bringing the A27 traffic flow to a crawl.

The once-heralded Folkstone to Honiton Trunk Road has been reduced to the stature of a goat track. The net result of my recent journey? Thirty minutes spent travelling 300 metres of road.

Any local council/government functionary having taken any part in this unacceptable shambles should surely hang their heads in shame at what is a demonstration of total ineptitude and incompetence.

Trevor Alford, New England Rise, Portslade