“FOR years it has seemed almost inevitable that someone would die in an accident at Wrecclesham railway bridge, and now it has happened” - so began the lead story of the Farnham Herald on March 2, 2001.

Seventeen years on from that tragedy - when a family was ripped apart by the death of 55-year-old Michael Stead, a married dad from Bournemouth after his lorry hit the A325 bridge in Wrecclesham Road - it seems lessons are yet to be learned, after yet another HGV smashed into the infamous structure on Wednesday last week, overturned and spilt 300 gallons of diesel on the road surface and pavement.

Despite the crash smashing the front windscreen of his lorry in a scene eerily similar to 2001’s fatal crash, on this occasion the driver, an employee of Irish haulage firm McNally Logistics, escaped with little more than a minor cut to his hand.

But the impact of the collision was still far reaching, forcing the closure of the A325 between the junctions with the A31 and Weydon Lane for some five days as Surrey County Council struggled to clean-up the mess, finally undertaking emergency resurfacing works and reopening the road on Sunday.

In the wake of the 2001 incident, the Herald reported a “catalogue of similar accidents” while Surrey Police launched an inquiry “looking at the history of the location”. Councillors also called for “immediate action” - with ideas ranging from a 20mph limit to improved signage and the only “truly permanent solution” a Wrecclesham relief road - and also blamed a protective barrier fitted to the bridge a year earlier for causing lorries to “roll over” instead of merely wedging themselves under the bridge.

The response to last week’s incident strikes a familiar chord, with South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt condemning Wrecclesham’s “flawed road layout” and setting out plans for “urgent improvements” on the A325, while councillors have again repeated calls for a relief road.

The crash, reported at around 12.35pm on February 7, is the first time an HGV has struck the notorious bridge this year - but adds to a succession of similar collisions in the past 12 months, including at least two previous incidents in 2017 when lorries hit the bridge and overturned onto a pavement used by hundreds of Weydon School children every day.

It also comes after a lorry driver was reported for dangerous driving after hitting the bridge’s protective boom last November, and adds to calls for safety improvements on the A325 following the death of pedestrian Amy Harris in Wrecclesham Hill in September 2017.

Speaking after a meeting with Surrey County Council’s deputy director of environment and infrastructure Jason Russell and councillors in the wake of last week’s crash, Mr Hunt said a number of measures have already been carried out, such as the cleaning of road signage and cutting back of verges, but conceded “we need to do more to safeguard residents”.

He added “further agreed actions” include repairing one of the electronic low bridge warning signs and making further improvements to the pathways, with a new pedestrian crossing and an additional refuge (island) in the middle of the A325 also suggested.

Network Rail has also agreed some funding to make further enhancements to the bridge, said Mr Hunt.

The MP added: “The risk of someone get seriously injured is very real – the latest HGV incident this week highlights that the current road layout and infrastructure is flawed and urgent improvements must be made.”

Mr Russell also described villager’s concerns as “very justifiable” and added the county council looks forward to working with the community to identify short term solutions.

“Looking to the longer term,” the county highways chief continued, “there are some real challenges for us in terms of establishing the need for a relief road, funding for the relief road and support for it, but obviously we’ll keep on working with the community to try and push those things through.”

County councillor for Farnham South, Wyatt Ramsdale was also privy to Mr Hunt’s meeting last Friday and afterwards renewed his calls for a Wrecclesham bypass, as well as commending the work undertaken by newly-formed residents group Wrecclesham Village Voice updating traffic data and pressing for change.

“Farnham needs a better road south than the current A325,” Mr Ramsdale told the Herald, adding “one day there will be pedestrians under the toppled vehicle”.

“I don’t see the recent event as a tipping point,” he continued, “just a further demonstration that what the local people are saying is absolutely true, in that the current A325 is not the right or appropriate route for a major route to travel south from Farnham.

“It is a route than needs mitigation short term and in the long term needs a by-pass/alternative route. We are saying that a new route and in the interim the new measures will save lives.”

Mr Ramsdale also encouraged Farnham residents to contribute to the ongoing ‘Major Roads Network’ (MRN) consultation - which he believes is the best current source of funding for improvements on the A325.

The MRN consultation proposes that 5,000 miles of “key” ‘A’ roads - including the A31 and A325 - are brought into scope for up to £100 million each of funding for upgrades and improvements including bypasses.

The consultation ends on March 19. For more information visit the website www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposals-for-he-creation-of-a-major-road-network.