Police look at more cameras for A66 accident blackspot

BUSINESS owners have backed a Teesdale action group in its quest for speed cameras and better safety measures near a “horrendous” junction.

Villagers in Ravensworth have formed a group to try to get authorities to amend the New Lane junction off the A66 and put in cameras along a two-mile stretch of single carriageway.

Jonny Bradbrook, of Ravensworth Nurseries, has to use the lane end every day and thought the group was on the right track with it aims.

He said: “Whoever designed that junction should be made to come and use it every day.

“We have wagons who have exactly the same problem – in wagons it’s not so bad as you haven’t got a bonnet but coming back in with no slip road, the back end of your wagon goes into the other lane.

“Heading east you have to block the whole road up because you get idiots coming up the inside of you at 70mph. It’s horrendous.”

Heading west, residents turning left into Ravensworth have complained of HGVs tailgating and using their horns when slowing to turn.

It’s something Mr Bradbrook knows well.

The 51-year-old wants to see the old right-angled junction reinstated at the site and has gone as far as setting up a Facebook group to bring it back.

He added: “When we had a proper slip road you could pull off the road 50 yards from the junction.

“Wagons beep their horn at you but there is nothing you can do about it. It’s the only junction on the whole of that road that doesn’t have a slip road.”

There have been three serious accidents on the two-mile stretch between Black Hill and West Layton in the past seven months.

Eddie Peat, from Wycliffe, has travelled past the junction for 30 years. The regional director of property group, Harworth, narrowly avoided a nasty accident when a car overtook him at the junction.

Mr Peat said: “The car just shot straight past the traffic coming the other way – it was a very dangerous manoeuvre and if there’s a place you do not overtake, it’s there. It’s a nightmare turning down that road whichever way you go.

“I travel down that road three or four days a week early in the morning – I think it is one of the most dangerous bits of road around.”

The A66 is due to be made dual carriageway along its entire length at some point between 2020 and 2025.

Mr Peat shared the A66 Action Group’s desire to have speed cameras and a rejigged layout on the stretch in the meantime. The 59-year-old added: “It’s a question of having a proper layout in the interim and speed cameras.

“It seems to have got worse recently – I don’t know why but there seems to be more traffic on the road. There are very unclear markings on the slip area and people drive across it because they’re going too fast.”

North Yorkshire Police said the A66 was one of the routes safety cameras frequent regularly. The spokesperson added: “Because of the number of collisions which have occurred along the route which has resulted in someone being killed or seriously injured, we have three key safety camera deployment sites along the A66, with one being West Layton.

“The selection of the sites our safety cameras vans are deployed to, is based upon intelligence and accident and collisions statistics. These sites are constantly under review, to ensure the relevant level of enforcement is in place. This particular route will be reviewed shortly and if necessary, more support will be deployed into the area.”

To join the A66 action group or find out more, email ravensworth.village@gmail.

com