Thousands of drivers facing the daily grind of traffic jams could soon have a congestion-free journey after ministers pledged to improve a notorious bottleneck.

Traffic queues snaking back miles have long been a frequent sight at the A27 Beddingham level crossing, near Lewes.

Yesterday, traffic minister Tony McNulty said the Government would spend £19 million on building a bridge over the crossing.

For the 30,000 motorists who use the road daily, the announcement will be welcome news.

Lewes Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said: "It's the right decision.

"I have been convinced that a separation of road and rail is necessary and I think they have struck the right balance, putting safety first and minimising the impact on the environment."

Mr Baker once lived in a cottage next to the crossing and has seen how dangerous it can be.

He said: "There have not been any deaths but a few times there were cars running into the barriers and causing them to jam.

"Fortunately, so far there have not been any accidents between car and train."

The barriers have been known to close for 24 minutes in every hour and Highways Agency statistics reveal there were 25 incidents at the gates between 1999 and 2001, mainly cars bumping into them.

In June 2002 The Argus reported how drivers frustrated with the length of time the barriers had been closed began weaving in and out of them to get to the other side.

East Sussex county councillor for transport Tony Reid said: "The misery of the long queues at Beddingham will be a thing of the past when this bridge is built.

"This will improve quality of life for the thousands of local people who use this section of the A27.

"The overall environmental benefits for the surrounding area will be important because there will no longer be stationary vehicles backed up for miles with their engines running."

He said a dual carriageway along the stretch would help further. Mr Baker disagreed, however, saying: "A dual carriageway would be dangerous because it would have to go from single to dual to single again and that makes no sense."

Thursday March 04, 2004