Plea for action at ‘lethal’ crossing

A study is being carried out by county road chiefs into ways to improve a ‘lethal’ crossing on the A281.

Fresh demands have been made for a bridge to be installed across the road at Rudgwick where a cyclist was killed last year.

It followed a major charity bike ride earlier this month when thousands of cyclists had to navigate across the A281 at its junction with the Downs Link.

Safety campaigners said: “It was a miracle no-one was hurt or killed.”

West Sussex County Council says it has made some improvements in the area but is now considering what else it can do.

A spokesperson said: “We have installed new signs on the A281, warning motorists of the crossing point.

“Vegetation has also been cleared back to improve visibility there.

“A feasibility study is currently being carried out, looking into ways to improve the crossing point.

“We will be able to consider next steps when we have the report back, which will be as soon as practicable.”

A spokesman for the organisation bridgethedownslink.org said: “The yearly London to Brighton Off-Road Bike Ride follows the Downs Link from Cranleigh to Southwater as part of its route.

“Filtering past the tributes to Pathushan Sutharsan who was killed by an HGV here last year, all the 2,750 riders had to run the gauntlet of the lethal crossing. The organisers were forced to put a marshall in place at the crossing to guide riders across ... it was a miracle no-one was hurt or killed.”

The group says despite some mitigating measures put in following Pathushan’s death ‘the danger of the crossing remains unchanged.’

At an inquest into Pathushan’s death, the coroner said the crossing posed ‘a substantial risk for cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians alike.’