§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment the Highways Agency has made of the safety of the junction between the A5 and the B4380 at Montford Bridge. [86529]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Mr. Tim Matthews to Mr. Paul Marsden dated 9 December 2002:
I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent question about the safety of the junction between the A5 and the B4380 at Montford Bridge.The Highways Agency shares the concerns of local people about the accidents that have occurred at this junction and we have instructed our Managing Agent for the A5, as a matter of urgency, to explore what measures might be used to improve safety in the short term.Montford Bridge was identified as a junction where safety is an issue in a Road Based Study completed in May. The study was commissioned by the Government Office for the West Midlands with the objective of making recommendations for addressing safety and congestion problems on the route between Shrewsbury and Chester. One of its recommendations is that a Route Management Strategy should be undertaken to support delivery of improvements to specific trouble spots, such as Montford Bridge.The Highways Agency, jointly with the National Assembly for Wales, have commissioned the Route Management Strategy study which is designed to develop a three year Action Plan and a ten year Route Management Plan for the A5/A483. It will further 36W analyse the accident locations identified in the Road Based Study, including Montford Bridge, to suggest solutions and recommend priorities.I hope this is helpful; we will ensure that you are kept informed of developments on all these fronts. If you would like more information, the Agency's Route Sponsor for this part of the A5, Liz Talbot, would be pleased to help. She can be contacted at jour offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8746.