I predicted risks of retail park junction

Further to Vicky Castle’s article in the Kentish Express on March 16, “40mph limit to ease fears at ‘nightmare’ junction”, I wrote in many years ago regarding the Sevington Retail Park junction – and my letter was actually entitled ‘An Accident Waiting to Happen’. I had recently moved to Ashford and I had never encountered a junction like this – where you had to join a dual carriageway without a run-in /slip road. At the time I stated the risk of what would happen if your vehicle was to stall when crossing into or exiting out of the Retail Park. Needless to say, nothing was ever done to improve this junction since then.

Obviously as the years have passed, and the town has been boosted by more people, and the number of retail units there have expanded, the queues are obviously now much longer to enter and exit the retail park.

I do feel that if the latest idea of a 40mph limit along the dual carriageway is enforced then this will cause even longer queues exiting and entering the retail park.

Since the traffic will no doubt be at similar speeds, rather than traffic at more variable speeds as they are now and which currently makes it somewhat easier to try and merge into the traffic.

Also, I presume the idea of implementing speed cameras, will not primarily be from a safety point of view but to generate more income for Highways England.

I totally agree with previous readers’ suggestion of implementing a slip road, as there seems to be more than enough space on the large verge to the left-hand side of the exit of the retail park, and this would be a much safer option, although this does not address the vehicles that have to wait to cross the dual carriageway to enter the retail park. The other alternative of traffic lights on both sides to allow for entering and exiting the retail park would also be a safer option.

As I previously stated – I hope there is a sensible solution to reduce the queues, and