As part of Dorset Council’s ongoing programme of traffic signal upgrades, the busy Marston Road junction in Sherborne is being improved.
With temporary traffic signals currently in place due to the collapsed private wall on Kitt Hill, the junction improvements have been brought forward in the highway works programme to make use of the traffic management measures already in place.
Traffic signal equipment at the junction of Kitt Hill, Newell and Marston Road will be renewed – with poles and signal heads replaced – a new right-turn lane will be provided for westbound traffic on the A30 turning into Marston Road and the overall signal-controlled area is being reduced in size.
These alterations will improve the efficiency of the junction and mean fewer delays for drivers.
To provide space for the additional right-turn lane, the pavement next to the A30 between Back Lane and Cornhill is being moved to the back of the verge and upgraded to a shared walkway/cycleway to improve off-road cycle links around the junction.
Existing pedestrian crossings at the junction will be upgraded to the latest Toucan equipment to further improve cycle facilities in the area.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for highways, Travel and Environment said: “It makes sense for us to bring forward the renewal of this signal equipment to coincide with temporary traffic control already in the area and save drivers from further disruption at a later date.
“I’m also pleased that we’ve been able to upgrade the cycle facilities to support sustainable travel and make cycling an easier choice for short journeys around the town – a key action identified in the council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy.”
Work will start on 25 July and last for around 16 weeks.
To help the flow of traffic during the works, drivers are being asked to help by planning ahead and thinking more carefully about their route around the town centre.
Great. Now can you look at installing traffic lights on the junction of New Road and the A352. There have been so many accidents there it is frightening.
This is a critical junction that needs urgent change please. Don’t leave until people die but that junction is lethal from whatever direction you approach it from and cars always driving far too fast on A352 at that point.
I am staggered that this work will take 16 weeks.
WHAT TESTS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO PROOVE THE REDUCTION IN EXHAUST POLLUTION AND NOISE POLLUTION?
SHARING A BUSY PEDESTRIAN PATH WITH CYCLES IS A DANGEROUS PLAN – THIS PATH IS USED BY MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING SCHOOL CHILDREN AND ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR USERS..
NO ENTRY SIGNAGE AT THE JUNCTION OF BACK LANE AND THE A30 NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AS THIS IS USED AS A SHORT CUT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY BY VEHICLES TURNING INTO BACK LANE FROM THE A30. AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!
WHAT A COMPLICATED NEW JUNCTION OVERALL, WITH LITTLE REGARD BEING GIVEN TO THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN.
ONCE AGAIN A PLAN TO PRIORATISE VEHICLES, OVER PEDESTRIANS!
Hi Ron, I’ve had this response back from the project team:
It’s logical that if we reduce the time that traffic is stationary (and idling) then air quality improves. The existing and proposed layouts have been modelled. The proposed layout shows reduced queuing and congestion on all approaches.
Shared-use footways/cycleways are common. There will be plenty of warning signs and footway/cycleway markings to make it clear to all users of the footway/cycleway that it is a shared space.
The eastern corner will be built out: to provide a new [A30] uncontrolled crossing; to reduce the crossing width of Back Lane; and to make the left turn into Back Lane more difficult. The No Entry signs and the road marking for Back Lane will be retained but realigned.
The finished junction won’t look too dissimilar to the existing. There is nothing unusual or complicated about it that you wouldn’t see elsewhere, locally or nationally. You will have noticed footway widenings that significantly improve the area where pedestrians congregate while waiting for their green signal. The new crossings are closer to the desire lines which makes it more likely that the pedestrians will cross there, under signal control, and not some distance from the crossings. The wider improvements free up capacity which allows the cycle time to be reduced, reducing pedestrian waiting times. This increases the likelihood that pedestrians will wait for their green signal rather than cross while traffic is moving. The safety of all users of the junction has been at the forefront of designing the junction.
From the plan, it seems traffic heading down Cornhill will no longer have the benefit of signal control and must rely on gaps in two-way traffic on Kitt Hill. The Keep Clear space will, at best cater for one vehicle to emerge assuming it is kept clear. With the volume of traffic normally using Cornhill, I foresee vehicles backing-up on to Acreman St and having to wait for many minutes to proceed. This is bound to lead to frustrated drivers taking risks, inevitably leading to obstruction and/or accident. The decision to remove signal control on Cornhill is nothing short of lunacy and clearly demonstrates that DC Highways has no grasp of the reality of traffic movements at this junction.
Hi Andrew, I’ve had this response from the project team:
The removal of the traffic signals at Cornhill has the following advantages:
Allows the A30 Kitt Hill stopline to be moved forwards, reducing lost time, improving capacity.
Reduces the number of signal stages, improving capacity.
Lowers the junction cycle time.
Improves junction intervisibility.
Relocates the new Toucan crossing nearer to the desire line.
Reduces pedestrian waiting times.
Making Cornhill one way northbound or southbound was considered but was ruled out.
We have records of the queue lengths on Cornhill under the existing arrangement. The new layout has been modelled and it predicts similar queue lengths for Cornhill but with improvements on the other [three] approaches. All sizes of vehicles will be able to turn right (No Left Turn retained) from Cornhill onto A30. Visibility to the left is limited but it isn’t sub-standard. A Keep Clear making has been included and can be made longer if needs be.
The design has been through the Road Safety Audit (RSA) process. Once commissioned, it will undergo a RSA 3 and will be monitored beyond that.
What is happening with the collapsed wall and corn hill.
No work appears to be happening.
It is a disgrace. This is after all the A30. Surely the work should have already been carried out whatever the financial situation.
Hi Christopher, we’re trying to make the best out of this situation – where temporary traffic management measures are still in place at Kitt Hill – by carrying out the planned junction works earlier than originally programmed. Unfortunately, we’re unable to state how long the temporary lights will be in place as the ongoing repair to the wall is a civil matter.
It would be good to know the detail of the upgrading of the pathway at the back of the verge to shared walkway/cycleway. Many older pedestrians are very concerned about sharing space with fast moving cycles, so I hope the improvements include widening this narrow path and building a seperate dedicated cycle lane?
having no lights on cornhill is senseless and you saying its a civil matter is a joke so when the new road works are finished it will still only be one way up kitt hill because no one wants mend the ruddy wall
I would like to know which, and to be quite frank here, idiot, at Dorset Council decided to remove the set of traffic lights at the junction of the A30 and Corn Hill. I understand from local news there has already been one accident and it is surely a major accident waiting to happen. I used to work near to this junction and can remember it pre traffic lights. The volume of traffic has increased since then. Do we have to wait for a fatality before the traffic lights are reinstated? Drivers are now going to have to take chances and ‘make a run for it’ to exit at this junction.
Hi Gillian, I have forwarded your comment to our highways team and they will get in touch with you, best regards Claire