Hazardous Junction Update
10 January 2022
Rumble strips on both approaches to the junction were added in December and warning signs are due to be installed in the week starting 17th January.
We have also been informed that “Unfortunately the council’s engineers don’t have the capacity to move the old signpost or the stonework in this financial year due to workload pressures, but it’s now pencilled in on the work programme for the next financial year 2022/23. I would expect this work to take place in June. At the same time they should be able to smarten up the sign and repaint it. One of the arms is also broken so hopefully this can be repaired at the same time.”
We still hope that the large tree stump some 10 m or so up from the corner can be taken down to ground level too.
20 September 2021
David May, Bob Scarr and John Bradley met Councillor Richard John and Graham Kinsella (Traffic and Road Safety Manager on site on 16th September and discussed a wide variety of possible solutions.
It was clear that we have to be realistic about what can be done and that what is proposed (see below) is about the best that’s possible. For example, it’s not possible to add a short-cut through above the apex of the junction for those turning towards Trellech as (a) it would be too steep and (b) there would be even less visible distance before the curve in the B road. Roundabouts can’t be fitted in and traffic lights would not be allowed either, given that the road has the national speed limit.
Graham Kinsella has now drawn up the following plan which we support:-
Colleagues in Highways Ops will be contacted about the heritage finger post and stone waymarker immediately. This relates to the possibility of moving the old milepost which currently restricts lines of sight to an adjacent but less obtrusive position. A separate issue is the old finger post at the junction which is in a considerable state of disrepair and needs replacing.
The hedgerow at the junction will be cut back by the council’s grounds maintenance team on Monday morning (20th September). This step should give the greatest improvement in visibility.
New SLOW/ARAF (with bars) markings and replacement junction warning signs are planned.
30 August 2021
Several residents approached Penallt TUCC Councillor David May recently to see if “something could be done” about the dangerous intersection between the “Monmouth Road” out of Penallt and the B4293 (see map). All drivers will know that turning left or right onto the B4293 is a risky business as lines of sight to the left are very limited indeed, especially when vegetation in the strip between the two roads is left uncut.
The junction is actually not in the Penallt ward but lies in Mitchel Troy instead so the next step was to contact Mitchel Troy CC to see if they would support the cause. They then involved the Mitchel Troy representative to MCC who happens to be the MCC Leader, Richard John.
Councillor John then met David May, Anne May and Bob Scarr on site on Friday 13th August to discuss the issue in some depth. He surmised that a major reconstruction of the junction would not be cost-effective but other solutions might work nearly as well. The next step therefore is to set up a site meeting with the MCC road safety manager and we currently await a date for this.