Calls made for safety improvements to A16 Spalding roundabout after lorry parked in middle of A151 and fears over safe crossing

The issue of pedestrians crossing five lanes of traffic near a busy roundabout is not seen as a concern by highways chiefs — but action will be taken to stop dozy parking.

Lincolnshire County Council has produced a safety audit following the completion of the £20 million Levelling Up project at McDonald’s roundabout in Spalding, but campaign group Pedals feel a glaring issue has been missed.

McDonald’s restaurant is a big draw for many people, including youngsters, but they are now forced to cross five lanes of fast moving traffic in order to get between the Spalding and Weston sides of the roundabout.

However this was not reported as a post construction issue in the safety audit completed by the county council in January - which says that pedestrians should only cross when they feel it is safe to do so.

The county council had previously ruled out adding a pedestrian footbridge over the roundabout or signalised crossings — something Pedals has been calling for — to the roundabout due to the cost along with ‘stifling traffic flows’.

The council had won the money on the basis of improving journey times.

We joined Pedals chairman David Jones and member Ben Sear to look at the issues with the roundabout — and almost walked into the path of an oncoming car.

We had been waved across by a lorry driver in the middle lane but visibility of the car in the third lane was hidden by the truck.

Mr Jones, who has expressed concerns about the speed of traffic, said: “We could so easily have been killed! Has highways thought about this possibility?

“Fortunately, we were exercising extreme care - but will children returning from McDonalds always be so careful?”

Mr Sear added: “The roundabout in question is obviously on an A road and is heavily used by vehicle traffic.“

“But, it's also the gateway to areas beyond Holbeach, and has a popular restaurant in the immediate vicinity that is regularly visited by those that walk and wheel. The needs of vulnerable road users crossing here should have taken as much priority as the needs of drivers.”

Lorries have been seen parking on the pavements - and in one example on the road markings in the middle of the A151, near the McDonald’s restaurant.

The county council says it is looking into the possibility of laying double yellow lines to stop these issues but added that it is down to the police to enforce.

Lincolnshire Police is currently looking to axe 200 officers due to a £14 million financial blackhole.

The council is also looking to double kerb height at all corners of the roundabout over next six weeks to prevent damage from lorries.

A spokesman said: “Lorry drivers should not stop to allow pedestrians to cross the roundabout.

“It’s also important for anyone crossing the roundabout by foot or cycle to only cross when you believe it is safe, not when a driver or any other person says it is.”

‘It feels like a morbid game of Frogger’

A trucker has been photographed parked in the middle of the A151 Holbeach Road - just yards from the roundabout - while another lorry was spotted on a different occasion parked on the new pavements.

Pedals chairman David Jones and member Ben Sear are calling for improvements to be made now such as the addition of signal crossings but are disappointed that a pedestrian bridge was axed from the original plan.

Mr Sear, 45, of Pinchbeck, regularly cycles across the roundabout and says that it often makes him feel nervous.

He said: “It feels like a morbid game of Frogger trying to cross the roundabout but you are playing with your life.

“I cycle with my daughter and it is really nerve racking bringing her here as you have to be extra alert.

“I want signal crossing points - we need better and safer crossings. The bridge would have been perfect but I don’t think that will ever happen.”

Widening work has been completed at the roundabout as part of a £20million Government funded project which aimed to ease congestion and enhance safety - goals which highways boss Coun Richard Davies said he was ‘confident’ had been achieved.

A footbridge had been included within the original design but this had been dropped in 2023 due to the estimated £3 million cost.

But the result has left fears that a pedestrian is going to be injured trying to cross a total of five lanes of traffic - especially as some vehicles are travelling quite fast. Exits now have two lanes, which also provides an opportunity for people to overtake slow moving traffic.

One difficulty facing pedestrians is that if a lorry is blocking one of the lanes, it makes it difficult to see if another vehicle is coming in another.

Mr Jones, 76, of Spalding, said: “They are cynically waiting for someone to be killed.”

The founder member of Pedals does not feel that having national speed limit signs is a good idea on the entrance to the roundabout - describing it as ‘insane’.

Mr Sears added: “Someone is going to get hurt.

“I don’t understand how they have been allowed to build it like this with no emphasis on road safety.

“This is the gateway to Holbeach and there are a lot of kids crossing and a lot of workers also cross by foot or cycle.”

In the three months since the roundabout was fully open to traffic, there are already signs of wear.

The tactile edge paving stones which have been placed at crossing points to help visually impaired people know when they have reached the edge of the pavement are covered in mud.

Lorries appear to have been mounting the pavement as tyre tracks can be seen on the verge on the McDonald’s side while a drainage cover, on the Springfields side, has already been pulled up.

Mr Sear said: “The evidence is here that they are mounting the pavement.

“You can clearly see which verges are being chewed up as they are using it as a dumping ground.”

But it is not just the issues with the lorries mounting the kerb as they pass through but some drivers are actually parking up.

One truck driver had decided to park up in the middle of the A151 on the diagonal white lines which are designed to separate the lanes of traffic. The entrance and exits for the roundabout are just feet away.

Mr Sear said: “The driving standards are so poor now.

“They approach the roundabout so fast and there’s a lot of conflict and bad judgement. You are the hear the car horns blaring.”

Mr Jones has also called for greater education for drivers.

Pedals has raised concerns about the roundabout with highways along with the police but have had little joy.

Mr Sear said: “You report it to the county council and the police. The police say it’s the council and then you get in a circle of reporting. I wrote last year to numerous councillors, the Police and Crime Commissioner (Marc Jones) and the police about my concerns.

“They have washed their hands of it. I have raised concerns and have been told that there will be a safety audit but that could take months. Why hasn’t it happened before now?”

Footbridge is needed to prevent future tragedy

The dangers of crossing the McDonald’s roundabout was brought into sharp focus to me last week when I almost came a cropper, writes Victoria Fear.

Walking across the roundabout is not something I’d done before — and I don’t think I would be confident doing it again.

I was walking from the McDonald’s side with Ben Sear and David Jones of Pedals after we had been over to look at the issues which have sparked their concerns.

A lorry in the middle lane of traffic had spotted we were waiting and stopped to allow us to cross, which we did after checking the outside lane was clear.

But I did not see a car travelling up to the roundabout on the inside lane but thankfully Ben had spotted the car and stopped me.

I am obviously very grateful to Ben for helping me (and so is my editor for preventing an onslaught of paperwork) but I feel this highlights why a footbridge is needed over that section. McDonald’s is popular with a lot of people including youngsters who were attracted over to the restaurant during half-term. And they deserve a safe crossing point rather than facing playing dodge the car and lorry.

It is great that Lincolnshire County Council has put some investment into Spalding’s road network but by widening these lanes, it could be storing up future tragedy.