Notorious Derbyshire roundabout is closed overnight for a week
MORE than a week of overnight closures have started on a busy Derbyshire roundabout, known as one of the most infamous junctions in the East Midlands.
Derbyshire County Council resurfacing work got under way at the notorious Horns Bridge roundabout, in Chesterfield, on Monday evening.
The roundabout will be shut each weeknight between 8pm and 4am until next Wednesday (September 29), though no weekend work is planned.
The busy junction on the south-east side of Chesterfield has five arms and sees the joining of the A61, A617 (the town’s main and busiest throughroutes) and Spire Walk.
The county council took to social media to inform motorists of the closures, and apologised in advance for any delays caused at the roundabout, which sees 75,000 vehicles pass through it on a typical weekday.
A spokesperson for the local authority posted on Facebook yesterday afternoon to say: “Attention Chesterfield... resurfacing work starts tonight at Horns Bridge roundabout as part of our £40m investment to improve roads across the county.
“Horns Bridge roundabout will be closed 8pm to 4am each night until September 29, but not Saturday or Sunday evenings.
“Our apologies for any delays, please avoid the area if you can.”
Back in November 2019, it was announced that changes would be made to the roundabout after pressure from dozens of driving instructors.
A total of 26 advanced driving instructors put pen to paper and signed a petition, submitted to Derbyshire County Council, calling for changes to the signs surrounding the roundabout.
They claimed that the advanced direction signs were to blame for much of the confusion and danger on the roundabout and called for changes.
They agreed that making changes to advanced direction signs would allow motorists to make earlier decisions on which lane they need to get in – cutting down on late changes and near misses.
Council officers said that from June 2016 to May 2019, there had been nine crashes on the roundabout – all of a “slight severity” – which they say is “considered good” considering the number of vehicles that use it.
The council’s cabinet member for highways, Councillor Simon Spencer, hosted a meeting to agree to spend £10,000 to make the sign changes on Thursday, November 21, 2019.
The resurfacing at Horns Bridge forms part of the county council’s major road resurfacing programme.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “We’ll be resurfacing, and surface dressing parts of more than 325 roads, spending in the region of £10 million.
“During March and April 2021 our highways workers and an external contractor have been busy getting these roads ready to be resurfaced or surface dressed by filling in any potholes or fixing any defects.”
We’ll be resurfacing, and dressing parts of more than 325 roads, spending £10 million
Cllr Simon Spencer