Mount Pleasant surprise as safety roadworks finish ahead of schedule
Major roadworks at a crossroads near Market Drayton have wrapped up a week and a half early.
It was thought that the Mount Pleasant crossroads, which lies on the A529 three miles south of Market Drayton, would be disrupted until October 28 for work that began early in the month.
The A529 itself was closed for two weeks and it was due to be serviced by temporary lights for the following two weeks.
But Shropshire Council announced the work was finished ahead of schedule by contractors Keir, and the road management measures have now been cleared.
The work included laying new kerbs and adding traffic signs, but one of the priorities was improving visibility on the west side of the crossroads.
Shropshire Council said that some remedial works remain, and they will be carried out "in due course" with the use of temporary traffic lights.
The work at the crossroads is the first stage of a plan to spend £3.9m improving safety on a stretch of the A529 between Hinstock and Audlem.
'Accident cluster'
Shropshire Council's successful bid for the money from the Department for Transport claimed that between January 2012 and July 2017, there were five fatalities, 12 serious crashes and 60 slight collisions on the stretch of road.
The Mount Pleasant crossroads was "an accident cluster", according to the council's bid.
Rob Gittins, who represents nearby Cheswardine, Childs Ercall, Hinstock and Sutton on the county council, said: "I’m pleased to say the majority of the works at the above location have been completed over a week and a half ahead of schedule and all traffic management has been removed.
"There are some minor remedial works to the ditch alongside the A529 to be carried out under temporary traffic lights in due course. We don’t have a date for this as yet."
He referred to the below pictures of the western approach taken before and after the work, showing what he said were the improvements to visibility.
"The top picture ‘before’ view shows how the give way lines were hidden from view due to the crest just before the junction and also how the road appeared to continue straight on, as the centre lines appeared to join up.
"The below picture ‘after’ view shows how the crest has been removed and that the give way line is now visible with a distinct separation between the centre lines on the approach roads so the illusion that the road continues has been removed."
See the change below:
