Rye Observer Comment: Improved road markings and signs could improve A259

In the wake of Saturday’s fatal accident at East Guldeford it is time to take a look at safety and traffic calming measures on the A259 east of Rye.

It is without a doubt one of the most dangerous sections of the A259 trunk road.

Narrow and winding, it crosses a rail line at two locations near Rye and has one of the sharpest hair pin bends in the area at Kent Ditch corner.

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It is also one of the main routes for large HGV’s heading to and from the ports and tunnel and a route for large coaches carrying foreign students to the area.

Admittedly there have been few recent incidents but over the years we have lost count of the serious accidents on the road, which have included a number of fatalities.

Properties along that stretch of road have seen their walls and fences demolished on a number of occasions and we have even had a coach ending up in a ditch.

Another things to consider is the extra traffic that will be generated should Lydd Airport’s bid to become a larger regional terminal be successful.

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The infrastructure is simply not there to cope with the volume of traffic and size of vehicles.

What the road really needs is to be widened but with the cost and environmental problems that would entail we don’t see that happening any time soon.

There seems to be little in the way of road markings and warning signs on the road. That, at least, is something that should be explored in more detail.

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