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Safety changes to 'danger' roundabout
A WESHAM roundabout, labelled "an accident waiting to happen", is to be altered – just weeks after it was installed.
The traffic circle suddenly appeared on Station Road last month as Lancashire County Council highways bosses sought to cope with extra traffic at a housing development in nearby Derby Road.
But residents slammed the roundabout as dangerous, claiming drivers are struggling with a lack of visibility and poor signage approaching the junction.
They also voiced concerns at putting a roundabout in the middle of a busy junction.
One woman, Christine Halliday, 68, of Catherine Street, said: "I haven't got the foggiest idea why it is there.
"I've lived here for 40 years and never had one before. The taxi divers told me it was very dangerous."
Now there seems to have been a u-turn by County road bosses after intervention from a Wesham councillor.
Coun Simon Renwick wrote to road bosses to raise the concerns of residents.
And now county chiefs have promised to make alterations, agreeing to provide improved signage, anti-skid surfacing and to raise the roundabout in the middle to make it safer and more visible and prevent cars from simply driving over it.
He said: "I am delighted the county has agreed that this roundabout is dangerous.
"The steps they are taking should have been taken when the roundabout was installed, and not risk life and limb of Wesham residents while they carried out a safety audit.
"I think this is a clear victory for common sense, people power and good campaigning.
"I thank everyone who brought this to my attention.
"I can only hope this was an experimental oversight and not cost cutting by the county."
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council confirmed the changes.
He said: "There's going to be additional signs on the approaches to the roundabout.
"There was some anti-skid treatment on the road surface and it will be made into a round topped hump to prevent cars driving over it."
The alterations are expected to be carried out in mid-February.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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