South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa has welcomed the recent completion of the £3 million safety improvements made to the South Leicestershire stretch of the A5, most notably at the High Cross and Smockington Hollow junctions.
The works, completed one week ahead of schedule, were undertaken by Highways England following local concern over a number of collisions and fatalities on the portion of the carriageway from Junction 1 of the M69 to the Magna Park roundabout.
The improvements included the installation of new junction signage, new road markings, the removal of foliage next to the carriageway and the resurfacing and laying of specialist anti-skid surfacing on the approach to junctions.
Alberto recently met with Highways England bosses and the Roads Minister Baroness Vere to consider the planned improvements and to discuss plans to monitor the effectiveness of the new safety measures.
Alberto said, “This is a very welcome and weighty investment of £3 million in South Leicestershire, and I am very grateful to Highways England for bringing about these improvements in a timely manner. The number of collisions on this stretch has simply been unacceptable in previous years, however Highways England have assessed the patterns of past collisions and acted upon them. By improving the road signage, installing clearer markings along the carriageway and resurfacing with new, specialist anti-skid surfacing on the approach to junctions, I am really hopeful that these measures will have the desired effect in reducing the number of collisions especially at the notorious High Cross and Smockington Hollow intersections”.
Harborough District and Leicestershire County Councillor, Rosita Page, added, “These improvements are a real winner for my residents and road users in enhancing the safety of this section of the A5. My thanks to Alberto for championing this project, and I look forward to continue working closely with him in monitoring the success of this comprehensive £3 million investment”.
Alberto concluded, “I very much share the understandable concerns of local residents and road users about this stretch of the A5, and it is not before time that this has been addressed and so I am delighted that these measures are now in place. It’s imperative that all those using this road feel safe in doing so, and therefore, alongside Highways England, my office will of course keep a very close eye on the effectiveness of these improvements in the coming weeks and months”.
Alberto is pictured above during a recent visit to the High Cross junction to see the new improvements.
