Fresh calls for the A16 at Crowland improvements after latest crash at Hull’s Drove junction

Fresh calls have been made to improve a notorious A16 junction following another collision.

Crowland district councillor Angie Harrison feels the staggered junction connecting the A16 with Hull’s Drove and James Road should be replaced with a roundabout to save drivers ‘running the gauntlet’.

While her county council colleague, Nigel Pepper - a former firefighter - feels that the A16 should become a dual carriageway now that hopes for a roundabout have been ‘shelved’.

Emergency services were called again to the junction on Thursday last week when two vehicles were involved in a collision. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported but calls were made by readers for a roundabout and better safety measures to prevent a tragedy.

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership says that it has undertaken improvements to the area which has ‘reduced the severity of incidents’ but is calling on drivers to ‘take requisite care’.

Coun Harrison, who represents the town on South Holland District Council, said: “Everyone knows the simple rules of a roundabout, to give way to traffic from the right, whereas with the current junction, visibility is poor and drivers crossing to and from Hulls Drove must also consider the speed of vehicles traveling along the A16.

“This creates a scenario where drivers take unnecessary risks and ‘run the gauntlet’ to get across the carriageway. They are then confronted with calculating whether they will get across to the central reservation before the vehicle exiting the opposing junction crosses over to the central reservation, as both vehicles will be waiting for a gap in the traffic.

“This is a major junction with many HGVs and farm vehicles crossing over from James Road to Hull’s Drove. Certain weather conditions, such as rain, mist and fog create poor visibility and when vehicles are crossing, they are side on, with their lights invisible to the traffic traversing the A16. This hinders the driver’s ability to see or calculate the speed of the approaching vehicles. Also, their trailers can end up overhanging the central reservation whilst they wait for a break in the traffic, causing a major risk to vehicles travelling along the A16.

“My heart goes out to all the families that have lost loved ones to this junction, and I urge Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to put in a roundabout before any more lives are lost.”

Coun Pepper has been determined to campaign for road safety improvements to the junction after attending numerous incidents while working as a firefighter in the town.

He said: “Following numerous site visits I’ve attended with highway officials and planning and regulation officials, the last few years have seen additional safety measures such as improved markings, average speed cameras and a latterly a speed limit reduction. These measures have resulted in a marked decrease in the number road traffic collisions occurring.

“Whilst the prospects of a roundabout have been shelved for now, a longer term desire, particularly with the inevitable increase in traffic would be for the road to be dual carriageway.”

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership says that there have been no fatal collisions in the past five years due to the improvements.

He said: “The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership has undertaken a number of interventions since this junction was created following the opening of the A16, Crowland Bypass in 2010. Those actions, with our partners, include a reduction in the speed limit across the junction and the installation of an average speed camera system along that section of the bypass. These interventions have reduced the severity of the incidences that have been seen at the junction, with no recorded fatal collisions in the past five years.

“The Partnership continue to monitor any collisions at the location, but it is a large junction that is clearly signed and laid out. As with any location where traffic may come into conflict through junctions or turning manoeuvres, drivers should take the requisite care.

“Unfortunately the Partnership continues to see collisions across the county at all designs of junctions, whether that be traffic signal controlled, roundabouts or simple junctions. Therefore there is unlikely to be any design that would eliminate all collisions, with the responsibility remaining on road users to adjust their speed to the road conditions and ensuring they maintain maximum attention on both their and others manoeuvres.

“The partnership remain committed to monitoring all injury collisions across the county and working with our colleagues at Lincolnshire County Council Highways to undertake any affordable interventions that may make a demonstrable impact to the safety of our roads.”

Do you feel that the junction should be replaced with an roundabout? Post a comment below…