Banavie school road safety work welcomed
WORK to improve safety at the Banavie Primary School junction is due to start next month.
Following concerns raised by Banavie Primary School staff and the parent council about road safety on the A830, BEAR Scotland has detailed plans for the work.
The width of the road at the crossing point will be reduced to make it safer for those crossing.
This will be achieved by realigning the kerbs on the south side of the A830 to reduce the width of the carriageway which will hopefully also encourage drivers to slow down. The crossing will be relocated seven metres west of its existing location.
In a letter to the public, the company also said the kerb to the west of the school access road will also be realigned resulting in a greater waiting area for those crossing the A830 and a wider pavement/footway in front of the bus shelter.
BEAR also plans to resurface footpaths in the area.
The work has been planned to coincide with the Easter school holidays to minimise disruption. It will start on Thursday April 6 on week nights with no weekend working anticipated.
The majority of work will take place between 7pm and 7am and should take 10 nights to complete. There should be minimal traffic delays.
Louise Pescod of Banavie Primary School Parent Council said: ‘ We are delighted this work is going ahead. It’s the result of 15 years of successive parent councils campaigning to get a safer crossing on the A830 for our children.
‘Our primary concern has always been to have a safe crossing for our children with so much heavy traffic on the trunk road.’
Speaking to The Oban Times, Caol and Mallaig councillor Allan Henderson said: ‘While it is not exactly what the parents are looking for, this is a step in the right direction, recognising there is an issue at this busy junction which has a risky mixture of pedestrians who are mostly children and vehicles of all sizes.
‘Anything that can be done to heighten the awareness of possible risks will be of benefit and make for safer travel. Hopefully, the transport authorities will continue to monitor and not see this as the end of their improvements. They need to understand this is not a rural country lane but a really busy trunk route.’
Mr Henderson added BEAR had confirmed the crossing will not be a marked crossing but there to allow a school crossing patroller to help pedestrians cross. Outwith the times when the patroller is present, it will be a standard non controlled crossing point with dropped kerbs where pedestrians can wait for a suitable gap to cross.