Petition protest on junction closure
MORE than 200 people have signed a petition aginst plans to close a junction on the Tarleton Bypass.
Lancashire County Council says it is closing access to and from the southern section of Moss Hey Lane where it meets Southport New Road to combat safety issues.
The county council’s cabinet agreed to the closure, which began on Monday, after a “higher than expected” number of crashes saw 17 collisions at the junction in five years, five which of which resulted in serious injuries. But those unhappy with the decision argue that it will instead cause add-itional problems both at the junction and elswere in Mere Brow.
The decision to carry out the closure was made in September after a consultation was held. Var-ious objections were made in that consultation period, including 21 people who argued it would increase traffic through the village and therefore be a danger to schoolchildren.
Eighteen people argued the county council should keep the junction open and instead introduce either traffic lights or a roundabout, while an offical response from Lancashire Police argued that both the sides of the junction should be closed.
A petition asking for the decision to be reconsidered was submitted last week and signed 200 times in the first few days.
It states: “We believe the wrong decision has been made to close the junction at the southern arm of Moss Hey Lane. With the junction only being closed at one side and the central reservat-ion still being left open to allow vehicles coming off Tarleton Moss to access the central reservation and turn right: how will this improve the safety of the crossing?
“This closure will increase the volume of traffic turning left at Mere Brow roundabout travelling past the local primary school creating a risk to school children.
“This closure may also increase the volume of traffic using Green Lane, a single carriageway road which is limited to 7.5 tonne vehicles. This road is well known in the area for cars descending into the ditches on either side.”
Construction work began on Monday to install bollards closing off the junction and is expected to last two weeks. Pedestrians and bicycles will still be allowed to use the junction.