The A16 “Radar Corner” junction is back in the news. This time because of an impending trial to put a central barrier the length of the junction and introduce a 40mph speed limit.
As I have said many times before we, locally, are not highway engineers but we do have local knowledge and common sense suggests this idea is ridiculous. We can only hope that the inevitable unforeseen consequences have been considered by the decision makers.
Please don’t blame local councillors. The parish council, for example, was made aware of “the idea” some time ago but did not support it, as members felt it was seriously flawed. I am given to understand that this is the brainchild of the County Council Portfolio Holder. Although I am sure he has the best intentions, if that is so I cannot understand why his professional engineers haven’t intervened.
No meaningful local consultation has taken place. Sadly, I understand that consultation is not mandatory and a trial can just be introduced.
It seems inevitable that some traffic wishing to cross the junction will find a route by doing a U-turn around the end of the central island creating a different but very similar danger. The long detours required to get to various destinations is not likely to be undertaken resulting in traffic using minor roads to reach those destination. The Thorney Road junction will have an increase in use with the same potential of U-turns, increased numbers of crossings and Thorney Road, within the town, which is subject to a weight limit could well see even more abuse of that limit. Straw lorries coming from the Deepings area presently cross the A16 at Radar Corner junction. What route will they take?
Will they go to Cowbit and then return? How will the fire brigade deal with the restrictions? Have they been consulted? Where will road signage be changed to avoid the further frustration when drivers discover the changes arriving at the junction?
A large sum of public money was spent on creating a junction which local people believed would be potentially dangerous. The parish council lobbied extensively before it was built for a roundabout and created a demonstration to illustrate some of the dangers during construction all to no avail.
I appreciate spare money for a roundabout and part, at least, dual carriageway is not, hopefully, sloshing around in County Council coffers.
However, as a first step it needs including in a program of works both locally and nationally to get it changed and the road improved. It is and will increasingly be the major entry and exit to southern Lincolnshire. A major part of the economic policy for South Holland is a vast growth in the horticultural activities and major increase in population. Both heavy goods vehicles and car traffic already rely on the use of the A16 even before further expansion.
Money, therefore, needs to be found probably from a variety of sources in the not too distant future to overcome the inherent problems with the junction as well as create a road that will sustain the economic wellbeing of the district well into the future.
The proposed trial appears to confirm what we already knew, that the junction is not fit for purpose.
One of the arguments against a roundabout was that it would slow down journey times. Ironically as part of the trial includes a 40mph section that argument has gone out of the window. Surely, sooner than effectively using money and resources to perhaps alleviate one problem but at the same time creating others, it would be better to use scarce resources to get the solution into a work program with the intention of preventing further families suffering through the loss of life.
Bryan Alcock
Parish & District Councillor
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