Rasen councillor: '˜We'll do all we can to prevent tragedies'

Residents are calling for major improvements to be made to the road after three crashes in three days last week.

A female motorcyclist in her 30s - named locally as Naomi Fox - died in one of three collisions.

The incidents are the latest in a long line of incidents which have led to the A46 being described as one of the most dangerous routes in Britain by a national motoring organisation.

Coun Lewis Strange, who represents the Market Rasen Wolds ward, is committed to doing ‘all in his power’ to secure a new roundabout at the junction of the A46 and A631 in Middle Rasen - one of the accident hotspots.

Coun Strange said a ‘long-term goal’ was to campaign for a new dual carriageway to the west of the region - alongside the present A15 - but admitted funding was a major issue with initial estimates suggesting the scheme could cost £500m.

Coun Strange said: “First, may I state my sincere condolences to those bereaved recently and also those faced with difficult complications, as a result of these road traffic accidents.

“The police and Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership will be investigating these incidents at the present time so we have to await their thoughts, as we do over fatalities which, of course, will be revealed with the coroner’s findings.

“I think it would be wrong at this stage to prejudge the professionals.

“However, be assured, the county council will do all in its power to prevent these tragedies. It will come as little comfort to say that casualty figures have steadily dropped over the years although there was a rise last year.

“This year - despite the recent incidents - the trend is again declining.”

Coun Strange also went on to praise speed reduction measures in Middle Rasen, as well as reiterating his support for a roundabout.

He said: “As the county councillor for the area, (with support of the parish councils concerned), I was pleased to see reactive speed signs installed in Middle Rasen and a speed reduction scheme on the A46 adjacent to the Osgodby junction, also lowering of the speed limits at West Rasen.

“Much of the ‘A road’ surfaces have been and are being resurfaced. Indeed, my concerns are for the minor roads, although serious accidents rarely happen on them.

“In the next three years, I will do all I can to work for a roundabout at the junction of the A46 and A631 at Middle Rasen, should funding allow-as the quoted figure is around a million pounds.

“Another essential, although long-term goal, must be providing a dual carriageway in the west of our area along the whole A15 north of Lincoln.

“However, this can only be done from central government funding, as the estimate is around £500 million.”