The landmark event will instantly improve journeys for drivers who have been unable to exit the road between Cuckfield and Handcross since the Warninglid junction closed last August. The Highways Agency £74m A23 Handcross to Warninglid Improvement Scheme has been almost two decades in the planning and finally began 19 months ago in October 2011. The scheme is to widen the carriageways in each direction from two to three lanes and build hard shoulders and new slip roads as well as new entrances for commercial and private properties that previously joined the road. Visibility has also been improved by tree removal. The northbound exit and entry slip roads at the Warninglid junction have been closed since last August for the roundabout construction. The new layout includes a link to the B2115 Cuckfield Lane while the improved alignment of the slip roads makes it safer for drivers to leave and join the A23. The temporary 40mph speed limit, which has been in operation since October 2011 for the safety of the workforce, will continue and apply to the slip roads. The new access road north from the roundabout to properties and businesses should open in stages from now until late summer and will be called Nursery Lane. A Highways Agency spokesman thanked road users and the community for their patience during the construction of the Warninglid junction. The entire scheme is due to finish in autumn 2014.