Vehicle hits bridge: West Sussex road partially reopened and motorist charged

Repairs to a bridge in West Sussex, which closed after it was struck by a vehicle over the weekend, are set to start next week, a county councillor has confirmed.

The A286 in Midhurst was temporarily closed over the bridge at River Rother – but repairs could start next week, according to West Sussex County Councillor Tom Richardson.

Updating residents via Facebook, Richardson, who represents the Rother Valley Division, said the first stage of work will involve recovering a stone that fell over the side of the bridge and, afterwards, erecting scaffolding.

Currently, thanks to the installation of temporary traffic lights, one lane over the bridge is open and motorists have been urged to seek alternative routes where possible.

When the crash took place over the weekend, the road was closed off entirely and several bus services were cancelled or rerouted while works took place.

After the stone is recovered and scaffolding erected, contractors will have to repair the bridge itself with a specific kind of stone which could take up to eight weeks to be delivered and then up to four weeks to be installed. An agreement with Historic England means the County Council has to use an approved mason and like for like materials while they proceed with the work, according to Cllr Richardson.

"This is ‘worst case scenario’ and WSCC Highways will do everything they can to expedite this,” he added.

“Highways have agreed to have the temporary lights on the bridge under manual control during peak times to reduce any delays as much as possible. They will continue to monitor impact on local back lanes and may introduce further restrictions if necessary, however it is hoped with the lights under manual control, this shouldn’t be necessary.”

Addressing residents online, a spokesperson for Easebourne Parish Council confirmed that four way traffic lights have been operational in the area since Monday (January 20), allowing a single lane to reopen – and added that they are working hard to reach a permanent solution as quickly as possible.

"We have also written to the leaders of WSCC, CDC, relevant Cabinet Members, Councillors and our MP Andrew Griffith, expressing our concern over the impact any length of closure or restricted access will have on our Parishioners and businesses in Midhurst, requesting that the matter is treated as a top priority,” a spokesperson said.

"Structural engineers and the WSCC Highways engineers are now assessing the required actions to enable a permanent solution and as soon as we learn more about what that will look like and the next steps, we will post further updates. We will remain in daily communication with the relevant teams involved. If you have any questions you would like us to raise on your behalf please email [email protected].”

Following the incident, Daniel Collins, 44, of Rumbolds Hill, Midhurst, has now been charged with driving over the limit, having been arrested shortly after the crash. He has been bailed and is set to appear at Worthing Magistrates Court on 18 February.

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