Speed cushion repairs begins
JPCO 040812 Jon Wallsgrove - unhappy about speed humps in Worth Road, Crawley. Photo by Derek Martin
WORK has begun to replace speed cushions on Worth Road but one road safety campaigner does not believe they will be enough to slow down drivers.
On Monday (September 3), West Sussex County Council started five days of work to replace the 17 cushions, which were only installed in February.
They were replaced in June after they began to deteriorate and now drivers face delays for the rest of the week as further work is carried out.
John Wallsgrove, whose father Ron was seriously injured on Worth Road, does not think the cushions do enough to slow down the traffic and has called on the council to consider installing something steeper.
He said: “The cushions are not suitable for the purpose. They are very much a token gesture by the county council. They should put in humps like they have in Maidenbower.”
A spokesman for the county council said that the cushions were deteriorating due to defective materials used during the manufacturing process.
He added: “Although the current condition of the speed cushions is in no way hazardous to highway users, it has been decided that the cushions will be removed and replaced now before any major defects occur.
“The county council’s supplier has agreed to replace the speed cushions free of charge. The county council apologises for any inconvenience and asks for your patience and understanding while these essential remedial works are completed.”
He added: “In Billinton Drive, Maidenblower, there are full kerb-to-kerb table top traffic calming features installed. But during the design process for Worth Road, these were discounted.
“It was agreed that the 65mm speed cushions were more appropriate for the location, as they would prevent grounding (vehicles striking the road surface).
“This is especially important because of the high volume of traffic, including buses, which are driven over the speed cushions.”
Between February 2008 to January 2011, eight people were injured on Worth Road, including one fatality and two serious injury accidents.
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Monday 20 May 2013
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