15 minutes to cross the road: Residents hit out over A435 traffic - The Redditch Standard

15 minutes to cross the road: Residents hit out over A435 traffic

Redditch Editorial 29th Sep, 2018   0

FED-UP residents in Kings Coughton are calling for a 30mph speed limit and a crossing on the busy A435.

The A435 is recognised as a strategic route and is used as a cut-through between the M42 and the M5 with traffic thundering through the village 24 hours a day.

Residents say at peak times they can wait up to 15 minutes just to cross the road.

And they fear the situation can only get worse once the Redditch Eastern Gateway development opens with more commuter traffic and the possibility of HGV drivers ignoring routing instructions and using the road.




“Kings Coughton is a village and as such it should have a 30mph speed limit because the traffic here is horrendous,” said local resident Mike Drinkwater.

Kings Coughton lies between the Kings Court Hotel and the A435 island north of Alcester and has more than 90 houses.


“For a start we need to look at the state of the road signs and and their upkeep as I feel if we made it look like a village people would hopefully drive appropriately and slow down,” he added.

“We can wait up to 15 minutes to cross the road.”

Warwickshire County Councillor Mark Cargill said he sympathised with residents but there was no instant answer.

“This is an issue which has gone through the various machinations of the Highways Department (of Warwickshire CC) for some years and being a major road we have big problems doing anything on it.

“We can certainly look at road markings but the cost of a crossing, we’re talking about a quarter of a million pounds.

“It’s a major road but was detrunked and at that point it lost funding opportunities to improve it however we are trying to get money allocated through the Strategic Road Network.”

He added conditions placed on businesses at the Redditch Eastern Gateway would mean that HGVs would be routed north to the M42 while a new industrial development at Alcester would see vehicles urged to go south on the A46.

Talking about the A435 Coun Cargill added: “I wouldn’t want to cross that road – it’s a busy, dangerous road, it’s just a matter of how we progress this through as we cannot just come up with a magical idea to solve it, it’s a bigger problem than that.”

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Redditch Standard.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Podcasts

Now, every week, you can also listen to a roundup of Redditch Standard Local News.

Business Directory

From plumbers, to restaurants, we can provide you with all the info you need.