Midhurst on the move again after major road finally reopened

Following work done to shore up the buildings damaged during The Angel Inn fire back in March, West Sussex County Council reopened the A286 North Street in Midhurst on Friday 23 June.

The road has now been open for some time and the County Council said traffic is flowing through the town once again. The last of the road signs advertising the reopening were switched off on the Friday, and should be removed soon, they added.

Inspections of the formal diversion route and local cut-throughs have been carried out to identify any works needed to address the impact of increased traffic on the local highway network. These will be planned as part of routine works and completed according to priority.

Reopening the road was a ‘multi-agency effort’ and work took place both on site and off to ensure the process was as smooth and safe as possible. Mistakes were made, however, and the council has apologised for the disruption caused after restrictions on Hollist Lane and South Ambersham Hollow were lifted earlier than anticipated.

A West Sussex Highways spokesman said: “The footway and parking bays immediately in front of the fire-damaged buildings are not in use, due to the shoring-up structure and hoarding covering the area. However, we are receiving concerning reports of people walking onto the highway to get around the hoarding.

“We urge residents to please remain safe and cross the road using the pedestrian crossings, rather than walking around the hoardings and into the traffic on the busy A road.”

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