The A259 Road
The coastal trunk road through Littlehampton
The A259 is the principal road serving Littlehampton, running along the West Sussex coastal plain and connecting the town to Worthing and Brighton to the east and Bognor Regis and Chichester to the west. The road passes through or close to the town centre and carries the majority of through traffic and local journeys, making it one of the busiest roads in the Arun district.
The A259 has a long history as the main coastal route between Brighton and Chichester, predating the modern road numbering system and following a corridor that has been used for travel since at least the Roman period. Through Littlehampton, the road passes through the built-up area, with traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, side turnings and the general congestion that accompanies any main road through a town centre. The speed limit drops to 30mph through the town, and delays during peak hours are common.
To the east of Littlehampton, the A259 runs through Rustington and towards Angmering, Goring-by-Sea and Worthing. This stretch of road is heavily trafficked, carrying commuters, shoppers and visitors between the coastal towns. The journey from Littlehampton to Worthing, a distance of approximately six miles, can take thirty minutes or more during peak periods, a source of frustration for regular travellers. The road passes through a continuous belt of development, with few gaps between the towns and villages that line the route.
To the west, the A259 runs towards Bognor Regis through Middleton-on-Sea and Felpham. This stretch is somewhat quieter than the eastern section but carries significant volumes of traffic, particularly during the summer season when visitors swell the population of the coastal towns. The road provides access to Bognor Regis and, beyond it, to Chichester and the A27 trunk road.
The A259 is not a high-standard road by modern expectations. It is single carriageway throughout the Littlehampton area, with limited overtaking opportunities and numerous junctions and accesses that create conflict points and reduce the flow of traffic. The road was designed for a different era of traffic volumes, and it struggles to accommodate the demands placed on it by the modern population and economy of the coastal strip.
Improvement schemes for the A259 have been discussed for decades, with proposals ranging from bypasses to junction improvements and widening. The cost of major road improvements, the environmental constraints of building in a developed coastal area and the difficulty of securing funding have prevented most of these schemes from progressing beyond the planning stage. Residents and businesses continue to advocate for improvements, and the road remains a significant issue in local planning and transport discussions.
For visitors arriving by car, the A259 is the most likely approach route to Littlehampton from either direction along the coast. Satnav directions will typically route drivers along the A259, which provides the most direct route to the town centre, the seafront and the harbour. Parking on arrival is available in several council-operated car parks in the town centre and along the seafront, with charges applying during the daytime hours.