These works were completed on Sunday morning.
My follow councillor Vivienne Parry spent quite a part of yesterday trying to deal with problems caused by emergency closure of the A4117 by Severn Trent Water. It is a major repair and unlikely to be finished until Monday. I haven’t been to investigate as I am shielded. But the reports I get are disturbing.
People are driving too fast down Squirrel Lane, which is a single track road. Drivers are a threat to each other. They are also a threat to the people who are using the lane for exercise.
It is worse at Rocks Green on the A4117. Vans and cars have been mounting the pavement to squeeze past the roadworks. They are forcing pedestrians to hold back. Forcing them to shelter their children because of the threat from drivers obsessed with the loss of a few minutes driving time.
The theme throughout this emergency has been greater consideration for others. But that doesn’t seem to apply to drivers who seem to have returned to their “me first” maximum speed habit and their disregard for other road users.
A complete nightmare on diversion through Knowbury and Caynham. At least 95% exceeding by some margin speed limits in villages of 30 mph. It’s like a race track and the volume of traffic is surprisingly large. It seems as if ‘Stay At Home’ well and truly over. Not good.
The traffic which has shifted to the Caynham road is really dangerous as it is going too fast and the vehicles are often too wide for the road. On Thursday afternoon there was a crash outside Primrose bank farm. The drivers were heard to say cheerfully that they were both going too fast!
The road bends, narrows and widens. People are driving like it is a much bigger road and you are taking your life into your hands trying to walk along it.
I am sorry that there has been an accident but I am not surprised, in fact I am surprised a cyclist or pedestrian has not been injured. Perhaps there needs to be a rethink of how these closures are done by applying some technology, for example at the Rocks end some ANRP and cameras and fines and on the lanes some emergency speed restrictions cameras and automatic fines. Our lane is closed but you would not know it- it is closed as it is dangerous but it could be used with some simple technology to make it safe and usable.
I haven’t heard of an accident but there have been numerous near misses.