Letter to the editor: Where has the Highways Department gone?

As usual with the Highways Department, they always have the time and the money to reduce speed limits, as has recently been the case on the A24 at the Washington roundabout. Loads of signs and even a barrier in the central reservation, but potholes, forget it, not important.

Frequently, their reduced speed limits do not make any sense at all, the A24 Washington roundabout being the most recent. If anybody is stupid enough to race into a roundabout, then they are not going to take any notice of the new speed restriction signs but, perhaps and aside from the 20mph limits, the most ridiculous of all, is the 40mph restriction on the A29 south of Five Oaks, which ends just before the Billy’s on the road cafe?, with the amount of traffic turning in and out, often without looking both ways, a major hazard. Another is the 40mph limit up Bury Hill, which is almost impossible to maintain while overtaking slower traffic in the left hand lane.

It sometimes appears that these decisions are made without actually visiting the site and with roads as bad as they are in West Sussex, one can understand that the Highways people would choose to hide in their office. It would certainly never occur to these people that potholes are also a major safety hazard.

Robert Bishop

Broomfield Drive

Billingshurst

West Sussex