A key route will be impassable for ten days to allow technicians to lay full-fibre broadband infrastructure.

The A280 Long Furlong segment linking Patching and Findon will be inaccessible in both directions from April 13 through April 22, spanning from the Long Furlong Lane junction to Patching North Roundabout.

The fortnight-long shutdown forms part of the government’s Project Gigabit initiative, designed to deliver full-fibre connectivity to countryside communities.

CityFibre, the firm executing the project, has partnered with technology company BUKO Digital to deploy innovative systems for managing vehicle flow.

The system accesses navigation applications including SatNavs and Google Maps to guide motorists along alternative paths in a more balanced distribution.

It also leverages Meta’s social platforms such as Facebook to inform frequent users of the affected corridor about forthcoming route changes.

Officials anticipate this approach will reduce congestion on surrounding highways.

Pedestrians, emergency services and local households will retain entry throughout the works.

A diversion will operate during the entire construction period, though locals took to online platforms to caution that the closure would probably generate substantial queues, given how heavily the road is utilised.

Sam Cosham warned the closure would create severe traffic delays, while Stephanie Lovell-Powell described the situation as a nightmare, noting it would probably increase her travel time threefold.

CityFibre, the nation’s largest independent full-fibre network operator, has been assigned the task of expanding full-fibre broadband across East and West Sussex under Project Gigabit.

The broader Sussex deployment intends to link 57,000 residential and commercial properties, supported by £108 million in public funding.