Lewes Road gas leak jams spark action call

10:00am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Traffic backed up along Lewes Road, Brighton Traffic backed up along Lewes Road, Brighton

Commuters faced delays of nearly an hour after a gas leak in the middle of a busy junction.

Queues of up to two miles were reported as workers carried out emergency repairs in Lewes Road, Brighton, throughout yesterday (December 3).

Southern Gas Networks (SGN), which is carrying out the work, apologised for the disruption adding they hoped to complete the work by the middle of the week.

With buses delayed and thousands of people late for work, transport bosses called for an urgent look at how roadworks are managed in the city.

Roger French, chief executive of Brighton and Hove Bus Company, said: “I really think that the way roadworks are managed in the city needs to get sorted out.

“It’s clearly not working and makes trying to run a bus service that people can rely on very frustrating for both us and our |passengers.

“I really think it’s something the city council needs to get to grips with.

“I do not think Southern Gas Networks really understand the effect they have on people’s lives and the health of the city.

Planned repair

“It has a devastating effect on many people and it’s becoming a recurring thing now.”

The repair was needed in the second lane of the southbound carriageway of Lewes Road, near the Vogue Gyratory junction.

SGN said it had been monitoring the leak for the past few weeks adding it had planned the repair with Brighton and Hove City Council.

Holly Smith, who works for the local authority, travels from Lewes to Hollingdean every day.

She said: “I just can’t be late for work as I’m on flexitime.

“This means I’m going to have to set the alarm an hour early to make sure I’m on time.”

Hannah Brett, of Southern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience while we complete this essential repair.

She added: “The repair is now complete and we now need to do some final checks before filling the excavation. We hope to finish our work here by the middle of this week.”

A council spokeswoman said: “Southern Gas has informed us that the road should be back to normal by tonight.”

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Comments(25)

PaulOckenden says...
10:12am Tue 4 Dec 12

This gas repair simply involved dropping the road down to one lane (no temporary traffic lights or anything like that) for a short stretch. And it resulted in crawling traffic back to Coldean Lane, and an extra 40-60 minutes journey time.

The Council's planned 'improvements' to this stretch of road also involve dropping the road down to a single lane, and for a much greater distance.

Doesn't take a genius to work out what's going to happen, does it?

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NickBtn says...
10:45am Tue 4 Dec 12

This is what will happen every day once the plans to make the Lewes Road single lane are put into effect. Over £1m, huge delays/more pollution. That's progress!

Of course it won't be quite as bad - people will divert and use other more residential roads to commute to and from work on.

I share Paul's concerns. The implications of the new Lewes Road scheme are obvious and proven once again by these emergency roadworks

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leedsnowfan says...
10:48am Tue 4 Dec 12

Theyve already installed traffic counters in surrounding roads and people are using them more already esp between the avenue and natal road

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Kiddon72 says...
10:48am Tue 4 Dec 12

Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.
It clearly shows the folly of reducing this road to a single lane - for whatever reason.

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Dealing with idiots says...
11:03am Tue 4 Dec 12

Vote of no confidence in the Green administration e- petition now live on the Brighton and Hove City Council website. If you love your city and want to end the waste and destruction of the Greens, please sign the petition. We need 1250 signatures to get this discussed in full council. Surely there are 1250 angry people in the city who want to make a difference? Save Our City.
http://present.brigh
ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP
etitionDisplay.aspx?
ID=360&RPID=6033530&
HPID=6033530

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Crystal Ball says...
11:41am Tue 4 Dec 12

Kiddon72 wrote:
Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.
It clearly shows the folly of reducing this road to a single lane - for whatever reason.
Very good point.

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bug eye says...
12:02pm Tue 4 Dec 12

The inside out programme last night confirmed that the number of car users has been dropping for many years simply because of better public transport not anything else as use has gone up in the country, as well as cars becoming cleaner. therefore the Green warcry of there are too many cars and rising on our roads causing congestion and pollution may not be true. The ridiculous road schemes and proliferation of traffic lights, built out bus stops, narrowing lanes and reducing lanes started by labour continued by the Tories and now excelling by the Greens could be a scam to implement more and more charging for motorists from parking to permits to what ever they plan next.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
12:42pm Tue 4 Dec 12

PaulOckenden wrote:
This gas repair simply involved dropping the road down to one lane (no temporary traffic lights or anything like that) for a short stretch. And it resulted in crawling traffic back to Coldean Lane, and an extra 40-60 minutes journey time.

The Council's planned 'improvements' to this stretch of road also involve dropping the road down to a single lane, and for a much greater distance.

Doesn't take a genius to work out what's going to happen, does it?
Yeah exactly. Good to see Roger French sticking his oar in YET again. Perhaps they should just leave the gas leak and let it ignite and blow the road up??

This was clearly not planned and people moan because a gas leak is fixed?

I will be avoiding Lewes road as much as I can once the one lane goes in, will be an utter nightmare.

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jays says...
1:15pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Today the 4th of December there has not been any work/workmen doing anything with this gas leak. there is a small hole about 60 cm from the edge of the hole to the kerb. Why do they not just put a sign out saying narrow lanes or use cycle lane. This would stop all of this traffic. Why hasn't someone from the council notice this, one lane blocked and miles of traffic for one small hole that we could just drive round.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
1:20pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Last night the traffic was backed up along Lewes Road and onto the A27 and began impacting the A23 so it was not just the city which was affected but key routes serving Sussex.
This will be the same every day when the road is closed to one lane permanently and could have a devastating effect on trade across the region.
Locally Ditchling Road, Coombe Road and Bear Road and the residential roads had lorries and queues of traffic backed up through them which will be replicated every day when the council's crazy plan to reduce the whole length to one lane is introduced.
The Green council has managed to spread its damage regionally now.
Poor Caroline Lucas will probably lose her seat over this mess.

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Bob_The_Ferret says...
1:30pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Let's remember that the current works are an emergency repair of a gas leak. That's not something that can be planned months in advance - a degree of urgency is required. It's far better to delay a few buses and commuters that to incinerate them in a gas explosion.

However, what it does demonstrate, is how sensitive the peak time traffic flows are here to losing part of the available road space. This can only be a bad omen for the effects for the Bus Lane scheme on Lewes Road. It's no wonder the traffic engineers told the transport committee that the changes originally proposed for the Vogue Gyratory couldn't work. We await their 'improved' ideas with trembling and fear!

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
1:44pm Tue 4 Dec 12

And as another poster has highlighted, the council ahs already put road sensors in these residential areas as the high flows of traffic on what were quiet residential streets where kids would skateboard and play football are now busy roads.
My street has also become a route where lorries and vans are doing U Turns when they notice that Bear Road is congested and in one week alone three parked vehicles were hit in a residential street by commerical vehciles trying to turn around in tight streets.
This has been reported to the police.
When will this council accept the officers' report into these issues and the comments from the locals during the consultation which were highlighted.
Also last night, anyone trying to turn right across the stationary traffic could not do so and that included cyclists.
I expect the council will have to install right turn filter lights at every junction in both directions along this route.
It's an utter disaster, but Kit Kat and his colleagues just wont listen and will probably deny what they are seeing.
I was on a bike last night and it was horrific for all road users.
Will KitKat pretend he has not seen the evidence from last night and today.

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salty_pete says...
2:22pm Tue 4 Dec 12

The trick the Highways dept. used for the A259 debacle was to show a computer model for only a hundred yards or so of the junction at Rottingdean. Although they were allegedly aware of the enormous queues which would result it was not part of their pitch to the public so it wouldn’t effect the public vote on the aspirational questions posed for the public vote. Thus ensuring “they” could state they had public approval. So the Lewes Road scheme looks to create even worse traffic hold ups than the A259. There are none so blind that will not see. The Greens are now the willing accomplices of the zealots in the sustainable traffic dept. and Brighton will decline as the business’s are forced to move elsewhere

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george smith says...
4:56pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Not sure what sort of emergency repair it is, they have had generator signs up all weekend saying work was starting on the 3rd. If it was an emergency surely it would have been immediate

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D5 says...
5:52pm Tue 4 Dec 12

PaulOckenden wrote:
This gas repair simply involved dropping the road down to one lane (no temporary traffic lights or anything like that) for a short stretch. And it resulted in crawling traffic back to Coldean Lane, and an extra 40-60 minutes journey time.

The Council's planned 'improvements' to this stretch of road also involve dropping the road down to a single lane, and for a much greater distance.

Doesn't take a genius to work out what's going to happen, does it?
Not really, especially if you go by bus, you will get there far quicker.



The road isnt exactly zipping along is it at rush hour usually, no it's stuffed full of cars.

People are using the "single" lane argument to suggest that everybody will be stuck in the same queue, they won't if they are in a bus because,ergo -they will be in a bus lane. With buses. Geddit?

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jamesbandenburg says...
6:26pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Maxwell's Ghost, I get the feeling that I need to go for a pint with you.

It seems like someone in the local authority is a bit skeptical about the scheme too - at the moment the only real sign of the work is the slalom course that's been made out of traffic cones between the viaduct and Coldean Lane, which is already causing traffic to back up a bit already. Then last night the queue from these roadworks, which was forcing everyone into one lane for a tiny bit of the road, caused miles of stationary traffic. It really was as bad as people are making out - it took me 10 minutes to move less than 100 yards from the back of the queue to the turning to Bevendean. And that's with two lanes for people to queue in. And no, relieving some of the traffic into a bus lane will not help because buses make up a pretty small percentage of the standard rush hour traffic on Lewes Road.

That's why I had to laugh the first time I drove past the travel information board near Coldean Lane informing people of the 'Lewes Road scheme' bearing the immortal phrase 'Use alternative routes'.

I suppose this means that in 6 months' time us Lewes Road-ists will have shifted the subject of our venom to the traffic lights at the junction with Preston Drove on Ditchling Road...

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:58pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Jamesbandenburg, one of the most dangerous aspects of the traffic crawling along were the number of pedestrians who were crossing at random points along the route from The Avenue right the way to Coombe Road.
When the traffic moves more quickly along the route people tend to stick to using the crossings but last night they were walking through the traffic and the cycle route which was bloody dangerous for those of us on bikes doing 20mph and in some parts of the route which are quite dark.
The council really need to get some independent traffic management company to look at this mess if they wont believe what people are saying.

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thevoiceoftruth says...
9:39pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Welcome to the future. Except both sides of the road will be stuffed the moment they start this crazy scheme. I'm glad the gas leak has highlighted the issue, but I doubt there will be a u-turn. Madness.

If I could give the Greens any advice, it would be to stop, look and LISTEN.

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Dave At Home says...
10:59pm Tue 4 Dec 12

I think Frenchie is getting a bit annoyed with all these snarl ups, well his drivers will have to wait in line like the rest of us, that's all, if the road is blocked there is little else you can do except sit and wait patiently for your turn to go, something the bus drivers should be reminded about instead of forcing their way into the traffic and causing even more hold ups.

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bluemonday says...
6:57am Wed 5 Dec 12

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
Last night the traffic was backed up along Lewes Road and onto the A27 and began impacting the A23 so it was not just the city which was affected but key routes serving Sussex. This will be the same every day when the road is closed to one lane permanently and could have a devastating effect on trade across the region. Locally Ditchling Road, Coombe Road and Bear Road and the residential roads had lorries and queues of traffic backed up through them which will be replicated every day when the council's crazy plan to reduce the whole length to one lane is introduced. The Green council has managed to spread its damage regionally now. Poor Caroline Lucas will probably lose her seat over this mess.
no it was'nt you liar

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Dealing with idiots says...
7:34am Wed 5 Dec 12

Vote of no confidence in the Greens at 115. Act now and save our city. Log on and let them know how you feel.
http://present.brigh
ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP
etitionDisplay.aspx?
ID=360&RPID=6033530&
HPID=6033530

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bluemonday says...
8:07am Wed 5 Dec 12

Dave At Home wrote:
I think Frenchie is getting a bit annoyed with all these snarl ups, well his drivers will have to wait in line like the rest of us, that's all, if the road is blocked there is little else you can do except sit and wait patiently for your turn to go, something the bus drivers should be reminded about instead of forcing their way into the traffic and causing even more hold ups.
when you say forcing their way into traffic,i take it your actually referring to buses pulling out of bus stops,you do realise it's law to let a bus to pull out if it safe and convenient to do so,i think that could include being stuck in slow moving traffic.

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PaulOckenden says...
9:00am Wed 5 Dec 12

D5 wrote:
PaulOckenden wrote:
This gas repair simply involved dropping the road down to one lane (no temporary traffic lights or anything like that) for a short stretch. And it resulted in crawling traffic back to Coldean Lane, and an extra 40-60 minutes journey time.

The Council's planned 'improvements' to this stretch of road also involve dropping the road down to a single lane, and for a much greater distance.

Doesn't take a genius to work out what's going to happen, does it?
Not really, especially if you go by bus, you will get there far quicker.



The road isnt exactly zipping along is it at rush hour usually, no it's stuffed full of cars.

People are using the "single" lane argument to suggest that everybody will be stuck in the same queue, they won't if they are in a bus because,ergo -they will be in a bus lane. With buses. Geddit?
Presume you didn't see the blockage? There was still a bus lane alongside the closed lane.

i.e. it mirrored EXACTLY what the council is proposing.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
9:39am Wed 5 Dec 12

I find those living in denial who post on this site an interesting psychological case.
Anyone listening to the radio reports would have heard the reports.
The Lewes Road is down to one lane from Coldean Lane to just before The Avenue and this morning the traffic was queued back to The Avenue.
There was a cyclist in the opposite carriageway trying to turn right across this queue of traffic to get to Mouslecoomb School but he couldn't do it due to the bumper-to-bumper stream of traffic.
The council will have to put more cropssings in and filter right turns at every junction.
Those of you in denial need to get out and take a look instead of being so blinded by ideology that you refuse to believe what people say.
When the lane is installed fully, will the number of buses be reduced in summer when the unis are closed as there were plenty of them empty this morning on the route.

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stepheye says...
10:01am Wed 5 Dec 12

Last night's commute home from Falmer to Brighton on the bus was awful - it took an hour... I'd like to see warnings at the bus stop at Falmer notifying users of the delay so that we can opt for the train (both bus and trains are very crowded at this time of year...)

I don't know what the solution is... fewer cars, fewer bicycles, fewer pedestrians?! I've been doing this commute for nearly twenty years now and have watched the traffic get worse and worse, and the roadworks seem more frequent! I'd love to cycle but I think it's too dangerous...there simply isn't room on this road for cars, buses, cycles... I partly say this as although I'd personally love to cycle and see cycling as a popular mode of transport as an alternative to the rows and rows of cars generally occupied by only one person, I'm also tired of cyclists who seem to think pedestrians should take second place...especially by St Peter's church and on the road crossings around there...it's dangerous!

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