Devon County Council Consultation on Death Trap Westleigh Junction Near Bideford

DEVON County Council’s Cabinet is to be asked to consult with other

local councils on plans for a new layout at Westleigh Junction near

Bideford.

A report going before County Councillors next

Wednesday (14 July) recommends that a £630,000 traffic signal scheme is

discussed with district and parish councils.

There have been a

number of accidents at the junction over the years, with an average of

2.6 injury accidents per year between 2004 and 2008. A safety review

was conducted in 2007 which found a high proportion of the accidents

involved elderly drivers. It also identified that the main problems

were traffic turning right from the A386 on to the A39, and traffic

turning right from the A39 to the A386 across eastbound traffic.

Interactive

signing was installed as a remedial measure following this review, but

there have since been further accidents at the junction.

Following

a recent comprehensive review of safety at the site, a number of

options have now been considered. These include the banning of right

turns at the junction, banning right turns from the A39, providing an

alternative right turn lane and the creation of a small roundabout.

However, the recommendation for traffic lights is seen as the most cost

effective solution which could be upgraded for predicted future traffic

growth.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet

Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “The County Council has

been looking long and hard at this issue to address long standing

safety concerns at Westleigh Junction. The review has found that

improvements can be made at the site to reduce accidents and cope with

future traffic growth, and Cabinet will carefully consider the

recommendations, but I’m sure that consultation will play a vital part

in developing any potential scheme.”

Devon County Council has set

aside capital funding of £100,000 for the design of a new layout this

financial year and up to £1.3million for providing safety measures on

A361 and A39 in the next financial year.

It is suggested that as

well as wider consultation with district and parish councils, the

public will also have chance to comment on the scheme with the proposed

layout being displayed in Bideford Library and online. More detailed

design work can then be carried out and a further report would be

brought back to Cabinet for approval at a later date.