A29 Pulborough Update

Updated 14:50 30 March 2023

West Sussex County Council will re-open the A29 at Church Hill, Pulborough, following prolonged closure due to landslips.

The council will start work on opening one lane of the road to traffic, utilising concrete blocks to create a protected, single lane carriageway down the centre of the road. A contractor has been mobilised to start the work shortly with work taking approximately two weeks.

Read the full statement here

Updated 15:35 22 March 2023

Across Rectory Lane, New Place Road, Link Lane and Broomers Hill Lane, we have:

• Potholes identified: 169
• Potholes repaired: 160
• Outstanding repairs: 9

We are continuing to work closely with the landowners involved so officers and our specialist contractors can access the private land to complete their assessments and fully design the solution.

Expected timescales

At this point in time we are unable to give an indication of when we expect the situation to be resolved. We will update once we have an agreed upon solution.

When did this start?

28 December 2022

Actions taken by the Council since the landslide occurred:

• Establishing the road closure and diversion (please see map below)
• Improving diversion route signage, including electronic signs at key locations
• Engineers and specialist contractors are scoping potential solutions
• Further surveys are being undertaken to assess the damage to the embankment and develop options to resolve the situation

Nature of the problem

The landslide occurred at the narrowest part of the A29, where both sides are flanked by steep embankments. Geo-technical experts have assessed the embankments and advised it is not safe to reopen the road to vehicles and pedestrians – we must adhere to this expert advice as safety has to be of number one priority.

The situation is complex as disturbing material from the embankment could further undermine it and make the situation far worse. Trees are at risk of being brought down and there is the added complication of a sewer drain in the embankment which has been damaged in the landslide. This is why the County Council has not yet removed the debris from the highway.

These issues are further complicated because the Council does not own the land on which the embankments stand.

Both embankments have moved and worsened since the original road closure. The western side has seen more material join the pile of debris on the highway and the eastern side, which we have significant concerns with, has shown signs of slippage and material deposited on the carriageway.

The A29 Church Hill, Pulborough is closed between the junctions of Church Place and the A283 Lower Street. Please use the official diversion route to avoid disruption to local residents. Local businesses remain open.

The diversion route is as follows:

1. A283 via Storrington
2. A283 via Washington
3. A24 Northbound via Ashington
4. A24 Northbound via Shipley
5. A24 Northbound via West Grinstead
6. A272 Westbound via Shipley
7. A272 Westbound via Coolham
8. A272 Westbound via Coneyhurst
9. A272 Westbound via Billingshurst
10. A29 via Billingshurst
11. A29 via Adversane
12. A29 Pulborough

Pedestrians, please use the signposted alternative routes via Bridleway and Public Right of Way as shown in the below map. For safety reasons, please do not move the barriers to walk through the closed area.

Updated 15:07 17 March 2023

WSCC Highways team responded to an emergency situation of a fallen tree on Broomers Hill Lane, Pulborough. The road was closed for safety while the tree and resulting debris is cleared. Teams are on site this afternoon to make the area safe and re-open the road to 2 way traffic.

Updated: 11:17am 7 March 2023

We are aware that Southern Water are currently carrying out emergency works on the A29 Stane Street / New Place Road to fix a burst water main. The repair work started last night and currently temporary traffic lights are in place. These lights will be removed once the repair is complete. Please plan your journey accordingly

Updated: 9:20am 3 March 2023

West Sussex County Council has thanked all those who attended the public meeting about the A29 closure on Monday 27 February. We appreciate those who took the time to engage with our representatives and ask questions about the landslide and resulting closure. It was a useful and insightful meeting which we took a lot away from.

We fully appreciate the frustrations felt by local residents about the ongoing situation and the resulting inconvenience along with the hardship felt by businesses in the area. Please be assured that the County Council is doing everything it can to progress a solution to this issue as quickly as possible.

You can read the FAQs from the public meeting in Pulborough here 

Updated: 12:54pm 23 February 2023

West Sussex county council are pro-actively engaging with local landowners regarding the ongoing situation on the A29 near Pulborough. We regularly have representatives present in the local area, either working with the relevant parties to get a solution agreed and implemented, monitoring the temporary measures that have been put in place (e.g. diversion signage), or completing repairs required as a result of the increased traffic through local roads. We have also set up this dedicated webpage which is regularly updated when new information is available, issue press releases to the local media outlets when significant updates need communicating and have a dedicated email inbox (a29landslip@westsussex.gov.uk) for enquiries relating to the closure. We will continue with these communication channels until the road is fully re-opened.

We have increased the frequency of the routine highway inspections on not only the official diversion route but also those roads being used locally to access the A283 and the A29. These include Rectory Lane, Link Lane, New Place Road, Broomers Hill Lane and Gay Street Lane. Once identified, safety defects (e.g. potholes) are being prioritised by the contractor to expedite repair works.

For issues relating to driver behaviour such as cars mounting pavements and motorcycles revving up the street throughout all hours, we recommend contacting Sussex Police via http://www.operationcrackdown.org/

Updated: 11:31am 14 February 2023

Monday 6 February saw the installation of concrete barriers to the northern end of the closure. The barriers are being installed following an incident in the early part of this week where a motorist moved the barriers and fencing at both ends of the closure and proceeded to drive through. We would like to remind people that the closures have been put in place for everyone's protection and urge people to follow the signposted vehicle and pedestrian diversion routes.

Updated: 14:27 pm 3rd February 2023

Tonight (3/2/2023), working collaboratively with our drainage crews, we will be closing Broomers Hill Lane to complete the outstanding pothole repairs. The closure will take place overnight to minimise any further disruption to the network.

Updated: 11:00 am 1st February 2023

We have introduced temporary parking restrictions through New Place Road to aid traffic movements and release any bottleneck on Link Lane particularly around school pick and drop off times. We continue to monitor those surrounding roads and review traffic matters.

We have increased the frequency of the routine highway inspections on not only the official diversion route but also those roads being used locally to access the A283 and the A29. These include Rectory Lane, Link Lane, New Place Road, Broomers Hill Lane and Gay Street Lane. Once identified safety defects (e.g. potholes) are highlighted, these are being prioritised by the contractor to expedite these works.

We have requested additional signage to the north of Billingshurst for vehicles travelling south advising motorists to seek an alternative route (A272) before attempting to navigate Billingshurst and proceeding onto the A29. This reinforces those signs already at the junction to the A272 towards the Wisborough Green turning.

We have also requested additional signs that will provide pedestrians an alternative route to the closure as we have seen a number of pedestrians moving barriers and walking through the closure. We are hopeful that both requests for additional signs will be installed by end of play Monday.

Updated: 16:21pm, 23 January 2023

Our Highways teams continue their hard work to find solutions to the complex situation following the A29 Pulborough landslide, where an embankment collapsed. Every effort is being made to ensure the stretch of the A29 impacted by the collapse is made safe so it can be re-opened as soon as possible.

County Council representatives have undertaken an inspection of the traffic management in place, along with the “unofficial” alternative routes. We will continue to monitor the situation and assess any need for alternative traffic arrangements.

The surrounding roads are continuing to be subjected to additional inspections and any defects identified are then being prioritised due to the unprecedented amount of traffic that is using these roads.

You can also visit the Pulborough Parish Council webpage where they are posting updates when available.

As the reasons for the closure of this section of the A29 road through Pulborough are not due to any fault or failing of the Council, it is not able to draw on public funds to compensate anyone who may be losing income. The Council is doing everything it can to secure the safe re-opening of the road. It has also done what it can to ensure diversions are in place and well advertised. The Council is aware of the value of this route to local people and businesses and will continue its work to get the road open.

Press Releases

Release date: 7 March 2023 WSCC thanks all those who attended the public meeting regarding the A29 closure in Pulborough - West Sussex County Council

Release date: 23 January 2023 Pulborough landslide: renewed plea to heed road closed signs, barriers and follow official diversion - West Sussex County Council

Release date: 19 January 2023 A29 Pulborough Landslide Update

Release date: 9 January 2023 Hard work continues to find solutions following A29 Pulborough landslide

Press Coverage

A full list of press coverage, including statement provided to TV and Radio broadcasts can be read here