Safety upgrades kick off as £13 million invested in South West roads
Improvements to A36 and A30 aim to reduce accidents and enhance traffic flow
National Highways is investing £13 million in safety enhancements across the South West, with major upgrades planned for the A36 in Wiltshire and the A30 near Junction 29 of the M5 in Exeter.
Beginning on 20th April, targeted improvements will be initiated on the A36 at Codford St Peter, aiming to reduce unsafe overtaking by creating a new left turn lane for eastbound vehicles entering Codford St Peter.
Jack Mason, South West Road Safety Manager, said: "Road safety is, and will always be, our number one priority; that is why our ambition remains that no-one should be harmed while travelling or working on our roads."
Additional improvements on the A36 include updated drainage systems, enhanced pedestrian crossing points, renewed road markings, better signage, and vegetation management to improve conditions around the nearby woodland.
This construction effort is scheduled to take seven weeks, employing four-way temporary traffic lights, weekend closures, weeknight closures, and junction closures to facilitate the project.
Similarly, on the A30 near Junction 29 of the M5, National Highways plans to install seven yellow box junctions.
These boxes are designed to minimise traffic obstructions by preventing vehicles from queuing across junctions. Over the past five years, 13 collisions were reported near Junction 29, primarily caused by vehicles failing to adhere to red traffic signals.
The box junctions will be monitored by police from a camera van bay to ensure compliance with traffic laws.
Beyond these major improvements, National Highways will deliver additional safety measures throughout the 2024 financial year, addressing sections such as the A30 from Kennards House to Five Lanes, barrier gaps from M5 Junctions 29 to 31, and junction improvements on the A38 between Wobblywheel and Splatford as well as the A35 from Honiton to Charmouth.
"We’re always exploring ways to make our roads safer by using collision data, risk assessments and insights to better understand driver behaviour," Mason said.
"The enhancements we are introducing on the A36 and A30 are targeted works and just the beginning of improvements this year, aiming to reduce the number of people harmed on the region’s roads."
Mason noted that the targeted safety work is part of a broader strategy under the Government’s Third Road Investment plan, focusing on maintaining roads in a safe and reliable condition.
"Our roads are a vital part of everyone’s lives, and we’ll never stop exploring ways to improve on safety and reliability," Mason added.