Dangerous Derbyshire roads will benefit from £5.6M government grant

Two roads in Derbyshire that were ranked in the top 50 of the highest risk roads in England are to benefit from a £5.6 million government grant from the Safer Roads Fund.

Derbyshire County Council will review plans and a public consultation will be held on the proposed safety improvements for the A5004 Long Hill Buxton to Whaley Bridge and the A5012 Via Gellia Cromford to Newhaven road.

The proposals for the A5004 could include instalment of the average speed cameras from the 30mph limit in Buxton to the 30mph limit in Whaley Bridge to tackle inappropriate speeding and reduce the number and severity of collisions.

Other possible solutions include a review of speed limits along the route, improving the junction with the A53 in Buxton and introducing new rumble strips to alert drivers to speed limit changes.

A new crossing point on the outskirts of Whaley Bridge and cycling improvements between Buxton and Whaley Bridge helping to link the area to the county’s cycle network are also considered.

Better signing, lining and improved drainage cloud be introduced to reduce surface water flooding.

The A5004 is currently closed between Buxton and Whaley Bridge with work underway to repair a major landslip, but is expected to reopen soon.

The proposals for the A5012 could include speed cameras from the Bonsall Junction area, north westwards towards Newhaven, a review of speed limits along the route and reducing the national speed limit section to 50mph from Grange Mill to Newhaven.

Drainage improvements from Grange Mill to Cromford and at Newhaven to reduce surface water flooding during storms and installing a new roundabout or improved junction at the Bonsall turn are also considered.

Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport said: “We are committed to making Derbyshire’s roads a safer place for everyone and we welcome the significant £5.6 million grant from the government’s Safer Roads Fund.

“Our next steps will be to talk to the local community and people who use both routes to gather their feedback about our proposals to help us, together, significantly improve safety along both routes.”

Derbyshire County Council will review plans to undertake public consultation about the proposed safety improvements at a meeting of the council's cabinet on Thursday, September 8.

In the meantime the works on the first stretch of road in the county to benefit from the government’s Safer Road Fund have almost been completed.

In total £1.18m is being spent to improve safety along the ‘13 bends’ road between Bakewell and Baslow including new and improved junctions, right hand turn lanes and anti-skid surfacing to reduce collisions and new pedestrian crossings.