Plans to install traffic lights at a crash blackspot in Wiltshire could be expedited amidst concern over continued incidents.
In July Wiltshire Council announced a £2 million road safety scheme that would see improvements made on some of the county’s most dangerous roads.
This included installing traffic lights at Black Dog Crossroads, a junction with the A360 near West Lavington that sees frequent crashes and is feared by many drivers in the area.
These works were initially due to be completed by spring 2025 but, following another crash on Monday, August 19, the council told this paper they were exploring ways to make changes “as soon as possible”.
READ MORE: Traffic lights plan announced for crash blackspot after council U-turn
Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, said: “We are currently reviewing the timeline for implementation of traffic lights at the Black Dog Crossroads junction to understand if there are any opportunities to expedite the process.
“We aim to make these improvements as soon as possible”
The latest incident saw two cars involved in a crash at the crossroads and police, paramedics, and fire crews all rushed to the scene.
Wiltshire Police say the drivers of the vehicles sustained minor injuries and one was believed to have been taken to hospital as a precaution.
The route was blocked for around two hours while emergency services worked at the scene.
But road safety campaigner Michael Maxwell, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, fears that a more serious incident may occur if there is a long wait for change.
He said: “I told them there would be a string of accidents at the junction and it is inevitable that there will continue to be until spring 2025.
“Is Wiltshire Council prepared to live with that? They’ve made a good decision, but I want to see them action it as soon as possible.
“My fear is that a motorcyclist would be involved in a crash with a van, and they may not survive that.
“It’s all a waste of time for the emergency services, there were about four police cars, an ambulance, and a fire engine, all that time they could have been responding to other things.”
Wiltshire Council had been trying to implement a project to realign the junction to improve sight lines but abandoned this following the announcement of a new £2 million investment.
At the time, Cllr Holder revealed that these additional funds made the possibility of traffic lights a reality.
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