Notorious Cambs crossroads set for safety upgrade as decision due this week

Work to improve the safety of a notorious Cambridgeshire junction could be agreed at a council meeting on Tuesday (December 5). The crossroads at the B1040 Wheatsheaf Road near Bluntisham, has reportedly seen regular accidents over the years. An FOI request found that eight injury[1] crashes on the junction had been reported to the police since 2020, mainly due to drivers not giving way.

People living in the area have also launched a petition for major improvements, which has been signed by more than 10,000 people. Cambridgeshire[2] County Council has agreed funding of GBP6.8m for the work to be carried out. If approved, this could see the layout being widened, new lanes being built, and a four-way signal junction installed in April 2024.

However, the improvements are dependent on being able to buy the additional land needed to widen the road and build the junction. This is due to be discussed at this week's Highways and Transport Committee meeting. Cllr Neil Shailer, vice-chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "Road safety is hugely important and we want to identify schemes where we can make a big difference to our communities within the tight budget we have.

"We welcome these improvements. We understand people want this project delivered and we are working as quickly as we can to install the traffic light scheme at Wheatsheaf crossroads." Cllr Steve Criswell, Cambridgeshire County Council Member for Somersham and Earith, added: "The community has been eager to see improvements to this junction for a long time.

It is good to see that a safety solution looks set to finally come to fruition."

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References

1. ^ FOI request found that eight injury (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
2. ^ Cambridgeshire (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
3. ^ Noisy neighbour fined GBP4K after sound system seized from Cambridge property (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
4. ^ New change rolled out for Cambs residents using Royston Recycling Centre (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
5. ^ You can also sign up to our dedicated Peterborough, Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in. (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)