Crisis-hit major West Sussex road to shut again 'for inspection'

The A29 at Church Hill in Pulborough was closed in December 2022 after a landslide which led to chaos in the village with traffic snarl-ups, safety fears and a loss of trade for local businesses.

The road remained closed for months before finally reopening to single-lane traffic, controlled by traffic lights, in April 2023. But now highway experts say the road will shut again for around four hours on July 5 ‘for a routine inspection of the site.’

West Sussex County Council says a formal inspection of the traffic signal equipment will also be carried out to ensure it is operating as it should and there are no equipment issues or damage.

A spokesperson said: “This closure, which is essential for the safety of both the public and workforce, is scheduled to take place after the morning’s rush hour period, starting at approximately 10am and should last no longer than four hours.

“As with previous closures, there will be a full, signed diversion route. We appreciate that this will cause some disruption to the local road network and apologise for any inconvenience, however, it is necessary to allow us to monitor the situation.

“We share residents’ frustrations on the slow progress on work to safely re-open Church Hill in Pulborough. We have tried to resolve this in a number of ways and will continue to work on finding a solution.

“Until works can be carried out to both private embankments, it is not safe to re-open the road under normal conditions.

“The county council has engaged regularly with the landowners to set out the works that need to be carried out, which would be at the council’s expense. Unfortunately, the landowners have not so far given permission.

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“We will continue to pursue an agreed solution with the landowners, but we are also continuing to make use of the powers available to us under highways legislation. These are of course subject to challenge through the courts and potential further delays, so we are also exploring other legal routes and will use them if necessary.”

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