|
Petition title: Install a roundabout, not traffic lights, at fatal Nash Junction, Pembrokeshire Text of petition: The Welsh Government has approved traffic lights instead of a roundabout to be installed at the fatal Nash Junction in Pembrokeshire junction, following many collisions and the death of a young motorcyclist. Roundabout - Many residents of Pembrokeshire and also the Council feel a roundabout would be more appropriate, considering Irish Ferry traffic and that it is the main road for the south of the county. |
Fingerpost junction is the junction of the A477 with the A4075 turning for Pembroke.
Ashley Rogers, a 29 year old motorcyclist, lost his life on the morning of 13 May 2023 while travelling to work. However, the junction has long been a focus of calls for action on road safety. Steps to improve it were announced in 2012 following calls from the community and local politicians. Improvement works were completed in 2014, and were subject to subsequent Road Safety Audits..
The A477 trunk road is the responsibility of the Welsh Government and the South Wales Trunk Road Agent (SWTRA) – one of two agents which manage the Welsh trunk road on the Welsh Government’s behalf. The A4075 is a local road and is the responsibility of Pembrokeshire County Council.
The Welsh Government published its Road Safety Framework in 2013. This set three targets to improve road safety so that by 2020, compared to the baseline average for 2004-2008, there would be:
§ 40% fewer people killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads;
§ 25% fewer motorcyclists killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads; and
§ 40% fewer young people (aged 16-24) killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads.
The Welsh Government’s statistical release on police recorded road accidents 2020 (published 2021) was the last to report on these targets. It notes the likely impact of Covid-19 in lowering accident rates below what they would have been had the pandemic not occurred. Therefore, it considers average data for the period 2016-2019 in assessing progress, concluding that the target for total killed and seriously injured and for young people have been exceeded. However, “relatively little progress has been made towards the motorcyclists target”.
The Welsh Government consulted on a new Road Safety Strategy in late 2023.
The then Deputy Minister for Climate Change wrote to the Chair of the Committee in August 2023, in response to a previous petition on the issue (below). He said a report investigating collisions and near misses at the junction had been produced, and the Welsh Government and SWTRA had “committed to a programme of short and medium term measures at the junction in 2023/24”.
In the short-term, SWTRA would implement signage / road marking changes and “possible minor junction layout changes” along with u-turn prohibitions.
In the medium term, the Deputy Minister says they will “assess the suitability and enforcement requirements of a speed restriction on this section and provide a business case for the introduction of traffic signals”.
The final report of the Welsh Government’s roads review panel was published in February 2023. Its conclusions, and the Welsh Government, response are summarised in this Senedd Research article. The then Deputy Minister referenced this in his August 2023 letter, saying:
All future road schemes in Wales must be considered in line with the Roads Review report recommendations. Currently, the intention is to introduce small scale changes before committing to larger engineering measures so as to minimise future land take for highways, minimise carbon emissions, encourage modal shift and reduce dependency on the private car.
Work began on the installation of the traffic signals at the junction in May, and is expected to be completed by September.
The letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport confirms that the “traffic light solution” is now under construction, and that the project will consider active travel and street lighting amongst other factors.
With regard to the roundabout proposal, the Cabinet Secretary emphasises that Welsh Government policy requires that the solution minimises impact on the environment and land requirements outside the highway boundary. He says that a roundabout which meets design standards and would accommodate HGVs would require more land than the traffic light solution, and have a greater impact on the environment.
The Petitions Committee considered a petition calling for a “roundabout for the A477/A4075 junction” between January 2016 and January 2020. This noted that “the current road configuration has not resolved the problems on this dangerous stretch of road”.
Committee correspondence with the Welsh Government highlighted an extensive Road Safety Audit undertaken following the 2012-14 junction improvement works. At the time, the Petitions Committee agreed to close the petition as “the junction is currently being actively reviewed”.
Mr Rogers’ death has been raised on a number of occasions in plenary by Sam Kurtz MS, for example on 16 May, 6 June and 5 July 2023.
As noted above, you considered a petition in autumn 2023 calling for the introduction of comprehensive safety measures at the A477 'Fingerpost' junction. This was debated by the Senedd in November 2023 and closed in December. You noted a “positive outcome”, having considered correspondence from that petitioner who was content with the outcome and happy to leave the “appropriate method for correcting the road layout”, whether traffic signals or a roundabout, “to those with appropriate expertise.” However, the petitioner noted “the long term plan including the installation of a roundabout certainly seems sensible.”
|
Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this briefing is correct at the time of publication. Readers should be aware that these briefings are not necessarily updated or otherwise amended to reflect subsequent changes. |