Early start for town’s £1m safety upgrade
WORK has started on three schemes costing nearly £1million in total to reduce accidents and improve cycling facilities in St Neots town centre. The joint schemes which aim to improve safety and provide cycling facilities between The Priory and the railway
WORK has started on three schemes costing nearly £1million in total to reduce accidents and improve cycling facilities in St Neots town centre.
The joint schemes which aim to improve safety and provide cycling facilities between The Priory and the railway station, are part of the St Neots Transport Strategy.
Over the past five years there have been 69 car accidents in St Neots, 22 where a pedestrian has been hit by a car and one fatality.
As part of the works Cambridgeshire County Council is also spending £258,000 on resurfacing roads including laying anti-skid material.
Lead engineer for the council Malcolm Mugridge said: "Providing safer routes across the town will improve travel choices for people with the aim of improving quality of life, air quality and health as well as the opportunity to reduce the number of vehicles on local streets."
The cycle and safety schemes costing about a further £680,000, follow a public consultation which backed the proposals.
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The proposals include: Off road cycle routes, red light safety cameras and pedestrian crossing facilities at the Cross and 20mph limit on the High Street.
Work was due to start in the autumn but engineers have been able to move the schemes forward to this month.
A review of the town centre has shown a high number of accidents at the junction of High Street with Church Street, Huntingdon Street and Cambridge Street, known as 'the Cross'.
However, the whole of the High Street from the Town Bridge to the Cross also had an unexpected number of incidents involving pedestrians, particularly in the Market Square.
Two approaches into the town centre - New Street and Huntingdon Street - are also being improved due to their accident record.
