New roundabout near Tenbury Hospital now removed
Work to remove a roundabout that failed to improve road safety near a hospital has now been completed.
A controversial roundabout on the A456 at Burford, near Tenbury Hospital, has gone, just two years after it was put in place.
Contractors have restored the road without the roundabout, which was intended to slow traffic approaching Tenbury from the direction of Newnham Bridge – and make it safer for people emerging from the road that serves the hospital and Burford Primary School – but in fact resulted in people claiming it was more dangerous.
The decision to remove the roundabout was made in February 2016, just a year after it was installed, following meetings with councillors, residents and police.
Richard Huffer, councillor for Clee Hill, said the locals had started avoiding the route after multiple minor accidents there. He said it had failed to stop people speeding on the road but instead had made an accident more likely by as people were not always clear about right of way.
Councillor Ken Pollock, Worcestershire councillor for Tenbury, said the idea of a roundabout was not bad in principal, but it had been poorly implemented with not enough warning for motorists suing the road.
Attempts to improve the signage and increase the visibility of the island failed to persuade people that it was safe, so Shropshire Council highways officers agreed to remove it – Though the main problem with the island was vehicles coming from the direction of Newham Bridge failing to slow down.
Now stronger measures will be taken including changes to the road to slow traffic down and the option of police using speed cameras to catch and deter motorists from going too fast.
