Bohemia Rd suffers three weeks’ upheaval

Posted by admin on 26/1/10 • Categorised as News, No. 58 Apr 2008

The A21 taken over by ESCC Highways Dept

Pavement works on the west side of Bohemia Road started on 22nd February as East Sussex County Council finally repaired the pavement from the junction with Tower Road to Cornfield Terrace. Damaged and brpken paving slabs along this length of road had been causing a hazard to pedestrains for a long time.

Cllr Andrew Cartwright said, "Many people know about my long-running campaign to improve the roads and pavements. One of these started when I heard about an elderly resident who was afraid to walk on one side of Bohemia Road because of the state of the pavement. That was nine months ago and East Sussex County Council have finally agreed to renew the pavement. It’s crazy that we have to wait so long for walkways on a main road to be put right! I’m very glad that Bohemia’s roads will now be a little safer and smarter."

There was unavoidable disruption to traffic for three weeks, resulting in many drivers using back streets as a rat-run, and two pedestrian crossings were affected. We understand that shop takings were reported as being down during the period.

Keith Mason of Newgate Road came into the Voice office to express his concern about the dangers, especially to children, of the pedestrian crossing near Tower Road being closed. While taking his own children to school he had seen an unaccompanied infant trying to cross where the zebra used to be, and had taken him safely across. He said, "Cars coming out of Newgate Road are so busy looking at the traffic and so eager to get out when there’s a space that they don’t see children, or others, crossing. " He said that he had contacted East Sussex Highways but felt they had fobbed him off.

The crossing was re-opened as soon as that end of the pavement works was completed, and the crossing by St Paul’s Road was then closed. At least one of these crossings was in operation at any one time.

Traditional paving slabs have been replaced by tarmac, which regretfully, gives a cheap look to the area.

The process was initially due to last six weeks, but was reduced to three. As we went to press late afternoon Friday 14th March, the works appreard completed, though the lights at the pedestrain crossing at St Paul’s Road were not yet back in operation, and cones, signs and dismantled barriers were waiting to be collected.