£750,000 repairs to begin on A24 in Horsham after lorry collides with bridge

The A24 northbound was closed on Monday after a lorry struck the bridge. Network Rail confirmed The A24 will have a full road closure on March 26 and 27, whilst the £750,000 'significant repairs' are carried out on the bridge.

The rail network also said there would be a contra flow system from March 14 to March 27, to allow one lane of traffic in each direction on the southbound carriageway, whilst repairs are carried out.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "The work involves significant preparation, including props for the bridge and materials from as far away as Germany, so the contra flow system will be in place from March 14 to March 27, which will give us time to set up and demobilise the site safely once the bridge is fixed.

"We’re sorry for the disruption this will cause to motorists but it is absolutely essential to keep road and rail users safe.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "After a thorough inspection, we were able to reopen the railway and the road. However, we have had to introduce some temporary restrictions to keep everyone safe until we can carry out the permanent repairs. There is a 20mph speed restriction in place for freight trains only, this is because they are much heavier than passenger trains, and the slow lane on the northbound carriageway is closed to reduce the risk of any further bridge strikes to the damaged area."

Network Rail said the bridge was struck by an excavator on a low-loader on Monday, which meant it had to temporarily close the railway between Horsham and Arundel and also the northbound carriageway of the road for safety reasons. The closure gave the rail company time to send its experts to inspect the structure and check it was safe before reopening.

The spokesperson continued: "After a thorough inspection, we were able to reopen the railway and the road. However, we have had to introduce some temporary restrictions to keep everyone safe until we can carry out the permanent repairs. There is a 20mph speed restriction in place for freight trains only, this is because they are much heavier than passenger trains, and the slow lane on the northbound carriageway is closed to reduce the risk of any further bridge strikes to the damaged area."

West Sussex County Council said: "Our highways team are liaising with Network Rail, which is currently establishing their plans to undertake the required repair works to the bridge. In the meantime, one lane has been closed on the northbound side of the A24 to ensure the safety of the highway users."