Residents demand lower speed limit on South Yorkshire ‘killer road’ which has claimed a number of lives

More than 50 residents packed out the Dunford Bridge community centre to demand better safety measures for a notorious “killer road”, which has claimed the lives of a number of people.
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The Hazelhead crossroads at the junction of Bents Road and Whams road on the A616 at Crow Edge has been the spot of a number of accidents – including a two vehicle collision which left a man with “life-changing” injuries on Monday, October 4.

Campaigners have long called for the 60mph speed limit to be reduced, following what one councillor estimates to be 25 to 30 accidents in the last 30 years.

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Councillor Allen Pestell, chair of Dunford Bridge Parish Council, co-chaired the meeting with Councillor David Wood, of Penistone Town Council, on October 20, in front of signs calling the stretch a “killer road”.

Campaigners.Campaigners.
Campaigners.

Councillor Hannah Kitching, who represents Penistone at Barnsley Council, told the meeting that BMBC had agreed to a number of safety measures at the site – but residents said they don’t go far enough.

Councillor Kitching told the meeting that the council had agreed to install more signs, slow markings, dragons’ teeth markings and resurface the junction, to be completed within the financial year.

Coun Kitching added: “We continue to campaign for reducing speed limits in a variety of locations, and it is like getting blood out of a stone, to be honest.

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“I am really pleased that we’ve got anything proposed for this junction at all because more often than not, Barnsley highways fob us off.”

Residents at the meeting.Residents at the meeting.
Residents at the meeting.

One resident called for the speed limit along Whams Road to be reduced to 40mph from 60, with the addition of speed cameras.

“There are so many hazards on that road, that come back to the point of lowering the speed limit,” said the resident.

“It’s not going to solve everything, but it will heavily reduce a lot of problems – it’s an overall solution to the whole road.

“Why not put the prevention in place before?”

The road.The road.
The road.
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Another resident added that the 60 limit is “absolutely ridiculous.”

Residents unanimously agreed that the speed limit should be lowered.

A number of other safety measures were suggested, including chicanes and a roundabout, and councillor Kitching, councillor David Greenhough and Mandy Lowe-Flello agreed to launch a postal survey for further suggestions to propose to BMBC.