I have contacted the police traffic management officer and highways engineers from county hall and asked for their opinion of the issues raised. I have also requested a site meeting to consider these matters further if members so wish.
I have copied below, in full, the response received from the highways engineer. I will take this information back to members at the next parish meeting and arrange a site meeting if requested. In the meantime please let me know if you have any comments or concerns related to this matter.
Dear Rob
Sorry for the delay in getting
back to you.
I've checked our records and we
have no outstanding complaints about the junction in question.
I've also checked with the
Police who have been in receipt of some concerns.
The junction layout was
determined following complaints about traffic turning left from the slip road
and undertaking U-turns in Castle Eden before heading westwards along the A181
and also the traffic stacking back onto the 'live' traffic lane on the A19.
There were many discussions with the Highways Agency as any change to traffic
management would have a knock-on effect for the A19 and they would not accept
any increase in queues especially onto the main running lanes. In
addition as the slip roads are under the control of the Highways Agency, any
changes that affect the slip roads would have to be agreed with them. If
I recall, there was also only limited funding available for any improvement.
Three general options were
considered, a) do nothing, b) introduce signals and c) other traffic management
(which included the current double mini-spot arrangement).
a) do nothing. This would
not resolve the complaints from residents in Castle Eden to both the Council
and Police. It would also not assist in reducing stacking back of traffic
down the slip road and onto the A19. If there was a way to prevent the
traffic making U-turns on the County roads, this would result in an escalation
of the stacking on the A19 with the potential for high speed incidents.
b) traffic signals. This
option was modelled but found to create additional issues resulting in stacking
onto the A19. If the signals catered for flows on one slip it had a
detrimental knock-on for another slip. There is insufficient space for
stacking the traffic on both the slips and A181/B1281 to accommodate the flows
from the slips without problems being encountered on the A19.
c) other traffic
management. Of the layouts considered, the current double mini-roundabout
when modelled was found to provide suitable traffic movement. It assists
in reducing the 'benefit' observed by motorists in making the U-turn manoeuvre
and caters for the predominant traffic flows when they occur. Whilst it
is not a particularly common arrangement, it should not be beyond the
comprehension of a motorist to negotiate the junction arrangement safely.
It is accepted that any arrangement no matter how good or basic is fool-proof
and every attempt is made to reduce this risk when designs are made.
Anecdotal information to date
indicates that the junction arrangement is working and has reduced the problems
previously encountered. Site observations have revealed the U-turn issue
is not the problem it was and has been significantly reduced. The queues
on the slip road, whilst still occurring, are clearing in reasonable
time. Analysis of the accident database of recorded personal injury
accidents reveals that the junction layout is not creating a serious problem -
given the volume of vehicles using the junction, it is coping well and only 1
accident per year is recorded. Whilst we would not wish to have any,
given the nature of the junction, conflicting traffic flows and traffic
volumes, this level of incident is low.
We have checked the traffic
signage and confirm that it is appropriate to the junction layout and
positioned in accordance with approach speeds and visibility.
We have also looked at a request
to extend the splitter island (southbound off slip) eastwards along the
location of the double white lines between the eastbound A181 and the A19
southbound off slip, to prevent vehicles from using the left lane and
undertaking a U-turn round the splitter island. Within the current
carriageway layout, this is not possible as there is insufficient space between
the two lanes whilst accommodating large vehicles which turn left from the A19
onto the eastbound A181/B1281. The only way this could be accommodated is
to widen the northern side of the slip for which there is no budget available.
I hope the above is useful.