Arundel pedestrian crossing finally repaired after two-week delay

Traders complained about a two-week delay before the crossing, on The Causeway, part of the main pedestrian route into town, was finally fixed yesterday (July 31).

Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert also raised concerns with the Highways Agency (HA), which yesterday apologised for the length of time it took to mend the lights, in a note to his office.

An HA official said the problem had been caused by an intermittent fault in the electricity cable which also power to street lights in the area.

Once Scottish and Southern Electricity had confirmed that the power supply was good again, the HA was able to carry out repairs.

It had not been possible to hire temporary traffic lights in time and in any case, the footpaths on that stretch of the A27 were narrow, creating the risk that some pedestrians might step out into the road to get round them.

Jonathan Brantigan, deputy chairman of the chamber, said this week before the lights were repaired: “As we enter the school holidays and a busy tourist period, it is not the best welcome for visitors arriving/departing by train.

“It is also the 150th anniversary of the Arundel railway station in a few weeks, an event upon which the Arundel Festival is tying in its launch.”

He added: “This fault should have been given a much higher priority early on, considering the volume of traffic on this A road, and either fixed or a remedial solution implemented within the first few days of the issue occurring.

“At the minimum, better signage warning drivers to slow down for any crossing pedestrians should have been put up on day one.”