Shinal A464 accident blackspot: Traffic lights to stay longer
Temporary traffic lights which have been up for more than nine months outide Shifnal will remain a while longer, according to officers.
The lights have been up at the A464 Upton Crossroad heading towards Boningale and Wolvewrhampton since April, while Shropshire Council looks into putting permanent traffic-calming measures at the junction.
Such is the regularity of crashes there that the lights were installed to slow speeding traffic. Residents have described it as an accident blackspot.
In March 2016 a driver broke a leg after a crash at the junction, which saw them come off the road, clipping a wall.
And in 2013, a blue Volkswagen Golf careered into a barn on the junction, sparking fears the building could collapse and prompting police to close the road.
Tony Honicke and his wife Kelly, have said they live in fear of the traffic that flashes by. They have two children Isabelle, 10, and William, nine.
He said they had been plagued by car accidents in the past, resulting in the emergency services being called out on multiple occasions.
Council officials say the lights have been put in place as part of a trial that may last a year in an effort to find out if it stops the accidents happening.
But the investigation is still not complete, and officers say it will take a few more months until a final report is produced.
A final decision will be made about what to do with the junction, based on this report.
Alice Dilly, Shropshire Council's principal traffic engineer, said, so far, the lights have been effective in safely managing traffic around the junction at peak times.
She added: "Shropshire Council have commissioned our consultants, Mouchel, to provide a comprehensive report on the feasibility for a permanent traffic signal installation at this junction, to improve road safety.
"Some additional survey work and analysis is still ongoing to enable the report to be completed in the next couple of months.
"The temporary traffic signals, although we appreciate that they have caused some delays at peak times, have been effective in safely managing the traffic during this time, and it is our intention that they remain in situ until an alternative safety measure can be implemented.
"Once the report is completed, a decision will be made on how to progress with an appropriate scheme."
The council has previously said that the crossroads experiences regular accidents due to poor road alignment and high traffic speeds.
