Transport bosses set for death-trap junction talks

Meeting comes after 3,000 sign petition urging safety measures

Possible improvements to the ‘death trap’ junction at the Sevington Retail Park will be discussed at a meeting next Tuesday, thanks to an online petition.

Last month, more than 3,000 residents signed the plea on change.org to ask for a roundabout or traffic lights at the junction of Barrey Road and the A2070 Bad Munstereifel Road in Sevington.

The issue has now been picked up by Ashford’s Joint Transportation Board (JTB) members, who have vowed to discuss “the options that are potentially available.”

Richard Alderton, Ashford Borough Council’s (ABC) director of development, will attend the public meeting to update JTB members on the situation.

But the junction is ultimately the responsibility of Highways England.

Concerns about traffic and safety problems at the junction, which leads to the junction 10 roundabout, have been raised in the past, but it is believed the growing retail park has made the issue worse.

After setting up the most recent petition, Stacey-Louise Smith, 25, from Kingsnorth, said: “I’ve grown up in Ashford and lived here all my life, and feel very strongly about this petition as that junction is a death trap.

“It’s just a nasty accident waiting to happen.

“Something needs to be done about it before someone gets killed.

“I have been witness to many small bangs, none serious but enough to write someone’s car off and ruin their day.

“If they want people spending money here then they need to get more parking and more traffic managed. “Simple as that.” The meeting will be held in the Civic Centre, next Tuesday at 7pm.

‘Something needs to be done before someone gets killed’

Picture: Gary Browne Barrey Road junction on the A2070 at Sevington Industrial Estate, and how the Express covered safety campaigner Stacey-Louise Smith’s petition last month