Labour councillors in Lancing, Sompting and Worthing have welcomed the Government's commitment to reducing traffic bottlenecks on roads such as the A27.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has announced that £145 million is being put towards easing 92 traffic hotspots in England, including the A27.

Sompting councillor Daniel Yates said: "These improvements are planned to start within the next year and will give local residents some short-term relief from the traffic pressures and rat running we all face daily. However, they must be followed through with the full range of improvements to public transport systems and the implementation of the full recommendations of the South Coast Corridor Multi-Modal Study.

"Only with the full range of changes in place will we really see any long-term benefit from increasing congestion and traffic problems. Labour must ensure that its 10-year Transport Plan, alongside its investment in the roads network, delivers the whole package."

The A27 Worthing/Lancing Integrated Transport Study, published in June last year, recommended improvements to five junctions on the A27, together with local road traffic- calming measures to deter traffic from leaving the A27 to rat run through local roads.

Junction improvements include signalling and other measures to help cyclists and pedestrians.

The Salvington Hill/Durrington junction is the most westerly of the junctions in the study.

Implementation is a joint project between West Sussex County Council and the Highways Agency and is expected to be carried out between next year and 2006.