Archive - Friday, 20 February 2004


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Road under microscope

CONSULTATION is under way on plans to improve the safety and reduce speed on a major route into Wotton-under-Edge.

Gloucestershire County Council has contacted the town council as part of a pre-consultation for work on the B4058 - Rushmire Hill and Coombe Road.

The town council discussed the proposed traffic-calming and speed reduction measures at Monday's meeting.

The consultation includes details of vehicle speeds and accidents on the notorious stretch of road.

If feed-back from a planned public consultation is positive, major improvements could be carried out on the road, which has seen seven injury accidents reported in the past five years.

The work would include new central cross hatching on the road near the disused quarry on Rushmire Hill as well as new hazard marking signs, additional chevron signing, and slow markings on a red tarmac base.

Traffic calming gateways could also be added to the road and there would be repeater signs near the bend in the road by Coombe Terrace. Improvements would also be made at the junction between Coombe Road and Adeys Lane.

Cllr Gareth Kitchen said he would like to see the junction between the B4058 and the top of Old London Road included in the scheme.

"It is a very dangerous junction and I would like to see some sort of warning sign to slow traffic coming up the hill there," said Cllr Kitchen.

Cllr Paul Smith suggested rumble strips might be a suitable way of slowing traffic on the approach to Rushmire Hill.

"They do travel down there at some speed and there have been several instances of lorries and cars going over the edge," he added.

Gloucestershire County Council's portfolio holder for strategic planning and transport Cllr Dr John Cordwell (Wotton) reported £100,000 worth of carriageway reconstruction on Rushmire Hill is high on the reserve list of schemes for 2004-05

"If the county gets extra funds for highways this could well be included in next year's budget," he said. "Otherwise it will be in the following financial year and I hope this is done before any the traffic calming work."

Councillors agreed to support the scheme, stating they are keen to see any work to improve the safety of the road.

A wider and more detailed public consultation on the plans will be carried out in the near future.