Heavy rain halts work to reopen key South Downs road shut since before Christmas

West Chiltington Road – a key route between the A259 Pulborough and West Chiltington – remains closed at Panners Drive following flooding and ‘severe damage’ to the road surface.

The road was shut on December 17 following the collapse of a culvert that runs under the carriageway which caused ‘localised flooding and significant damage to the road surface’, according to West Sussex County Council.

A spokesperson said today (Tuesday): “The contractor was on site this morning and, having seen the volume of water flowing across the road and within the works area, it was agreed that it was neither safe nor practical to start the works.

“While we understand this is frustrating, safety is always of paramount concern. We also need to ensure we can complete the works effectively first time.

“We will continue to monitor the water level at the site, plus the short to medium-term weather forecast, to reschedule the works as soon as is practical. We apologise for any inconvenience and urge anyone travelling in this area to please allow extra time for their journeys.

“As a reminder, there is no access between Pulborough and West Chiltington via West Chiltington Road. We ask drivers to refrain from moving the barriers and attempting to travel down this stretch of road.

“Diversion route signage has been put up at strategic points. The route is: Harborough Hill to The Common to Mill Road (North); The Hollow to Broadford Bridge Road to Adversane Lane (West); Stane St A29 (South) to Lower Street A283 (East); and Mare Hill Road to West Chiltington Road.

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“We ask that all drivers utilise the official diversion route as the surrounding lanes are unsuitable for the higher volumes of traffic that would normally use West Chiltington Road, with concerns around the potential need for lengthy reversing manoeuvres for motorists which could cause further safety issues.”

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