A1 safety review under way before end of financial year

The MP for Newark has joined colleagues to push for action to improve safety on the A1.

Mr Robert Jenrick brought together local MPs for a meeting with the roads minister, Mr Jesse Norman.

They are calling on Highways England to take what Mr Jenrick (Con) described as serious action.

He was joined by the Bassetlaw’s John Mann (Lab) whose constituency also contains a stretch of the A1, and Dr Caroline Johnson (Con) the member for Sleaford and North Hykeham.

Also at the meeting was Mr Nick Harris, executive director operations at Highways England, who is the overall head of safety across the road network.

The MPs asked for a comprehensive safety review of the section of the A1 passing through their constituencies, which they said had seen a rising number of accidents and fatalities in recent years.

They had been approached by residents and parish councils concerned about the danger to motorists of using the road, particularly the junction with the A46 and A17 at Newark.

Highways England is said to have confirmed their figures showing a high number of accidents along that stretch, and said they were monitoring it as a matter of concern.

Timetable

The minister listened to their concerns and agreed that Highways England would begin a safety review by the end of this financial year.

Money has been set aside to redevelop the A1/A46/A17 junction near Newark, which is one of the key strategic road interchanges of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and the process of developing options for the project is under way.

The minister has set out a timetable for the project.

Planning work has started and will continue throughout this year.

Initial proposals will be ready by the end of the financial year and consultation will start with key stakeholders such as local councils and adjacent land and property owners.

An agreed route for a new Newark northern bypass and clear scheme for the Brownhills and Winthorpe roundabouts would be ready by March 2019.

The estimated cost of the scheme is around £200m.

It will be one of the most expensive and most technically challenging road building projects in the UK over the next ten years.

"I am pleased a review will now occur."

After the meeting, Mr Jenrick said: “Safety on the A1 is a serious concern to residents and the regular accidents and resulting gridlock has a major economic impact on the area.

“I am pleased a review will now occur.

“It was reassuring to hear that the government remains 100% committed to the Newark northern bypass and investing as much as £200m over the next five years in this key point which connects Newark in every direction and is essential to our continued economic success.

“The scale and cost of the project means that we will never be able to rest until the ribbon is cut and I intend to harry and cajole government continuously until that day finally comes.”

Mr Harris told the Advertiser: “We are committed to improving safety on the A1 and take the concerns raised seriously.

“We are in the process of reviewing junctions and will continue to work with local stakeholders as we identify issues that require attention.”

Interim measures already taken by Highways England include temporary queue detection signs on the approach to the A46 junction that were installed in 2016.

Central hatch markings on the A46 between the Farndon and cattle market roundabouts, which are said to help to reduce the frequency of collisions, particularly those involving overtaking manoeuvres, were completed in May.