The A259 at South Undercliff was brought to a standstill for much of the morning of Tuesday August 6 because an articulated lorry, carrying a mobile home, couldn't pass a parked car. In this instance the car driver would appear to be at fault. However if, as frequently happens, a van, coach or large lorry had been approaching from the other direction, the result would have been the same.
The police were ultimately called to manage the traffic and get it moving in a contraflow system until the owner of the car returned after about two hours.
The incident has revived calls from local residents of South Undercliff for a purpose built bypass to help ease congestion through the town.
Editor's note: We have commented before on the effect of traffic - and in particular heavy goods vehicles - on this road, including the stretch along Strand Quay to the Kettle o' Fish roundabout. The situation is not helped when traffic is backed up along Wish Street to the same roundabout during level crossing gate closures.
Planned improvements elsewhere on the A259 could well produce an increase in traffic. The opportunity of a bypass was turned down by Rye residents many years ago and, despite the obvious need for it, it seems unlikely that, barring an accident of national news proportions, either the Highways Agency or government will re-open the possibility, at least in the near future.
