Tuesday 16 April 2024

Priority signs on the High Hesleden chicanes

I’ve contacted the county council’s highways section again to suggest that the risk of an accident could be significantly reduced if priority signs were installed at the three chicanes in High Hesleden. Regular readers of these pages will know that I’ve been pressing the council for some time to install the correct signage in the hope of preventing an accident before it occurs. Background details can be found in an article I published on this site in 2019: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2019/12/chicanes-at-high-hesleden.html?m=1


I’ve pointed out to the highways department that most other similar chicanes and pinch-points in the area have sign posts attached to them to signify which vehicle has right of way. For example the chicane on Front Street in Hesleden has illuminated road signs signifying who has priority over oncoming vehicle, and the same is true of the pinch-point on East Street in Blackhall Colliery.

There are clear ‘Give Way’ markings painted onto the road at the approach to the chicanes in High Hesleden to tell which vehicle has priority, but I’ve argued that in the interests of road safety there should be a consistent approach to street signs and traffic management across the county. For that reason alone it would make sense to bring the chicanes in High Hesleden into line with others nearby.

I’ll update on progress with this matter as soon as I have more information from the service, but in the meantime please let me know if there’s anything in your neighbourhood you would like me to deal with: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk