Surrey County Council is responding to public concerns about safety by installing new pavements under Pirbright Arch on the Guildford/Woking border.

The pavements will be constructed in February 2009, when maintenance work is already scheduled for the site.

Pirbright Arch lies on the A324 to the north of Pirbright Village centre and connects the village with Brookwood, West End, Bisley and Woking. The bridge is unusually low, narrow and dark and currently has no pavements. The junctions on either side of the arch are controlled by traffic signals, but there is no pedestrian phase.

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The arch is regularly used by parents and children from the Brookwood area and Pirbright Army camp who use it to reach Pirbright School. Many find it intimidating to negotiate.

Surrey County Council's Local Committees for Guildford and Woking joined together to examine the various options for improving safety, in response to concerns expressed by the parents of children at the school, Pirbright Parish Council and the Brookwood Village Association.

In the short term the county council and Guildford Borough Council carried out a number of improvements, including road cleaning, jetting of the drainage system, painting the arch walls and improving the lighting.

Bill Barker, Chairman of Surrey County Council’s Local Committee (Guildford), said: "Making Pirbright Arch safer for pedestrians has given us quite a challenge, as it is a tricky and unusual location, but we think our solution is the best that can be achieved. It also represents very good value for money, as we are combining the pavement scheme with the maintenance work that was already planned."

(CD/JM)