8:27am Saturday 28th November 2009
By Melanie Vass
A NEW 40mph speed limit is to be tried along a section of the Wessex Way in a bid to cut the number of road accidents.
Police and council chiefs have agreed to slash the speed limit on the A338 between County Gates and the approach to St Paul’s roundabout.
The change will come into effect early in the New Year and the existing speed cameras on that stretch will be recalibrated to reflect the lower limit.
The stretch in question, and in particular the area around the Richmond Hill eastbound slip road, has been regularly blighted by “clusters” of road accidents.
Highways chiefs had previously attempted to deal with the accident rate by dropping the limit to 50mph in the 1990s and introducing speed cameras.
But a total of 198 people have been injured in collisions on this section of road between 2004 and 2008.
An alternative option of closing the eastbound nearside lane of the Wessex Way between the Bournemouth West roundabout and St Paul’s Roundabout was considered but rejected.
The lower speed limit is to be trialled for six months, during which time public consultation will be carried out to see whether there is support for making it permanent.
John Satchwell, Bournemouth’s road safety manager, said: “This project is about improving road safety not causing disruption, but is an experimental scheme during which public opinion will be tested.
“Major disruptions to traffic arise from road accidents, especially on the A338, and these proposals are aimed at reducing the severity and large number of crashes on this stretch. It is expected that overall safe journey times will be improved by this trial.
“The works to replace the signage are deliberately being carried out at night time to avoid causing disruption to those coming into the town to visit, shop and work.”
As well as changing the speed limit signs, the council we will be installing two interactive signs at Richmond Hill junction – one on the slip road to warn of queuing vehicles and one on the Wessex Way to warn of merging traffic.
The signs will not be installed until after Christmas.
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