Reduced speed limit to be put in place at accident blackspot

A REDUCED speed limit of 50mph could form part of a �100,000 improvement plan for an accident blackspot.

Highways chiefs at Cambridgeshire County Council have given the go-ahead for a raft of improvements to be carried out at the Flint Cross junction between Royston and Duxford after a consultation period involving district and parish councillors. A budget of �100,000 has been set aside for the area.

Cllr Susan van de Ven, county councillor for Melbourn, took part in a recent site visit with highways officers.

She said: "It was a really positive consultation in that we suggested things and they really listened to what we had to say.

"They went over the potential changes which could be made, and the consensus was that a lower speed limit would be needed to make a real difference, so that is something that's now being looked into.

"This scheme is really good news, it is long overdue," she said.

Amanda Mays, team leader for road safety and engineering at Cambridgeshire County Council, said the changes would be made within the current financial year.

She said: "You don't necessarily need to spend millions of pounds to make a junction safer.

"This scheme will involve lots of little changes, such as making the junctions and turnings more clearly defined, and perhaps putting signs up asking motorists to drive carefully.

"We've introduced a similar programme at a site in East Cambridgeshire and it's been very successful," she said.

Miss Mays added that a 50mph limit was a real possibility for Flint Cross.

"The junction was highlighted in a speed review we carried out as a place that would benefit from a reduced speed limit, so something should happen with that too," she said.

Numerous accidents have happened at Flint Cross in recent years, including several fatalities.