A new pedestrian crossing for the A17 at Holbeach should not be ten or more years coming to fruition, according to a town mum.
Paula Hayes is stepping up her call for action after Lincolnshire County Council admitted that criteria for a crossing near Boston Road roundabout has been met – but it has no money to pay for one.
A footbridge over the A17 has been touted as part of a new development of homes and industry on land off the A151 Welbourne Road South. But that crossing – expected to be near the proposed new roundabout at Peppermint Junction – could be a decade or more away as it is part of a second phase of the project for 1,000 homes and possible dualling of the A17.
Mrs Hayes has started a petition to demonstrate the strength of feeling from nearby residents and workers.
She says a traffic light-controlled crossing like one on the A16 at Kirton would be the ideal solution, but just signage to indicate a proper crossing point across three lanes of carriageway where there are already dropped kerbs would be a start.
The mum-of-two is bemused that the council has spent £105,000 on highlighting emergency routes after flooding, while people are “dicing with death” every day crossing the A17.
She said: “If they had the funding it would be done. The fact is they have spent money on the flooding signs. I don’t know which is more important.”
Many pedestrians and cyclists going between Boston Road North and Boston Road South consider an underpass leading from Park Road to Pennyhill Road too far away and too tricky to access.
The proposed roundabout at Peppermint Junction is expected to alleviate traffic travelling through the town centre, as vehicles would then have a safer and simpler means of joining the A17.
“Residents have already been cut off when the A17 was built,” said Mrs Hayes. “I don’t have anything against the development but my concern is that once the Peppermint Junction roundabout is put in, it’s going to put more traffic on that road – more lorries.
“I honestly think that the animals in Lincolnshire are treated better [on the roads] than humans. I see signs for cattle, horses, deer, ducks, frogs, but we can’t even get signage for a crossing.”
Click here for the online petition.
Meanwhile, Mrs Hayes has enlisted help from South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes.
He wrote to county council executive director for environment and economy Richard Wills, who responded: “The assessment [to determine provision of a pedestrian crossing at the Boston Road/A17 junction] meets the criteria but at present no funds are available for the provision of new pedestrian crossings.”
