Accident hotspot roundabout comes under official scrutiny
ASTUDY into the safety of a notorious Carmarthenshire roundabout and an adjoining stretch of road has been commissioned, it has been confirmed.
Cross Hands roundabout, between Carmarthen and Pont Abraham, has long been described as one of the most dangerous roundabouts to navigate. According to statistics released by the Department for Transport in 2015, it was the third most dangerous in Wales.
Approaching it from both east and west, there are two lanes that become three as you advance towards the roundabout, which has six exits – one for a local petrol station and Aldi store, Cross Hands itself, Gorslas, Cross Hands Business Park, and the exits heading towards Carmarthen and Pont Abraham, the latter of which leads to the M4.
The roundabout sits on the A48 dual carriageway, 12.5 miles from Carmarthen, and that whole stretch is now the subject of a Welsh Government study.
One Carmarthenshire motorist recently wrote to the government after attending a refresher course run by the local council aimed at elderly drivers. The driver said a big concern among the group was the safety of Cross Hands roundabout, citing the speed vehicles travel at when approaching it from both directions of the A48.
They also said trying to enter the roundabout from one of the other four exits was a “take your life into your own hands” moment, and that many actively avoid it and travel on smaller, more rural routes.
The A48 either side of the roundabout is well-known as an accident hotspot. In 2018 it saw six crashes in one day – five of which occurred in one hour – leading Carmarthenshire councilor Alan Speake to call for that section of the road to be investigated, labelling parts of it “a disgrace”.
In 2018, figures obtained by the Western Mail showed there were nearly 900 crashes on the A48 in the preceding 10 years between Carmarthen and Pont Abraham, including on the roundabout.
Those figures related to a 16-mile piece of road, while the safety study being conducted only applies to the stretch between Cross Hands roundabout and Carmarthen, excluding the 3.5-mile distance between Cross Hands and Pont Abraham.
That study has been commissioned by the Welsh Government and will investigate current issues and future requirements of both the roundabout and the dual carriageway. It is unknown what alterations could be on the table, but the process is described as “a framework for thinking about proposed changes to the transport system”.
That will involve public engagement, and will look at public transport and a range of other issues, as well as the safety of the A48 itself.
“We have commissioned a Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance study between Cross Hands and Carmarthen,” a Welsh Government spokesman confirmed.
“This is investigating a range of issues, including road safety, active travel, public transport, infrastructure capacity and standards, demand management and freight.”