Huntingdonshire Councillor urging for 'dangerous' Hinchingbrooke junction to be reviewed
A crash that happened Tuesday October 2, on Hinchingbrooke Park Road which links Views Common Road and the A1307. - Credit: Omar Gundran
A Huntingdonshire councillor is urging for a ‘dangerous’ Hinchingbrooke junction to urgently be reviewed.
John Morris, a Huntingdonshire District Councillor (HDC) for Brampton, Huntingdon and Hinchingbrooke is calling on National Highways to look at the junction linking Hinchingbrooke Park Road with Views Common Road and the A1307.
It comes after there was a crash on Tuesday, October 3, at the junction involving two cars and a woman was injured.
John Morris at the busy junction - Credit: Archant
Councillor Morris said: “I am calling on National Highways to urgently review their safety audit of this dangerous junction.
“The central refuge is far too small and should be redesigned and increased in size to at least be as large as the new central refuge on Hinchingbrooke Park Road opposite Hinchingbrooke School.”
Cars at the junction - Credit: Archant
“Barely wide enough to wait whilst pushing or cycling a bike.
“If you have a cargo bike, tow-along bike, trailer bike or if you have a disability and need to ride a longer adapted cycle this crossing point could be deadly.”
John Morris's bike outside the junction - Credit: John Morris
Most Read
- 1 Police searching for missing man discover body
- 2 Two-day closure set for B661 between Great Staughton and Grafham Water
- 3 Eight Huntingdon children handed anti-social behaviour interventions
- 4 Car rolled in crash on A14
- 5 Sir John Major to answer questions at Infected Blood Inquiry
- 6 A1 set for night-time and weekend closures until August
- 7 Garden railway raises money for 3 Pillars
- 8 A "determined" Huntingdon man takes on Everest after a double lung transplant
- 9 Suspected case of bird flu in swan reported to DEFRA
- 10 A charity football match involving a mixed Polish and Ukrainian team aims to raise funds for Ukraine
Cambridgeshire County Councillor (CCC) Tom Sanderson said: “The problem is that the traffic lights that do not appear to be correctly synchronised causing some conflict with traffic flow at this junction.
"Hinchingbrooke residents have already put up with a lot of inconvenience over the last few years.
"We need to ensure that all the highway authorities work together to ensure people can travel safely.”
Hinchingbrooke Park Road - Credit: John Morris
National Highways Senior Project Manager Laura Hampshire said: "We are aware of the issues raised by Councillor Morris about the size of the new central island on Views Common link road.
"The primary purpose of this island is to provide protection to the traffic signal pole at that location; the island is not intended as a pedestrian refuge.
“These signals are designed so that most users will be able to cross the road at this point without needing to stop on the island.
"However, the island has a secondary purpose which is to provide a safe haven for those unable to go over the crossing in one movement and need to wait until the next cycle of traffic signal.”
National Highways also stated: "There is no ‘tactile paving’ (paving slabs with textured rows of raised discs) in the central area of the island.
"This is so that individuals with a visual impairment are not encouraged to remain in this area unless absolutely necessary.
"In the unlikely event that anyone should be ‘caught’ mid-crossing, pedestrian and cycle demand and display units are in situ to facilitate their safe crossing.
"This island was never designed as a pedestrian refuge and the size of the island are in accordance with design guidance."
