AN innovative plan has been put forward in an effort to improve safety for road users and pedestrians in Startforth.
The planned upgrade of the A66 has prompted concerns among residents in the village that it would lead to an increase in traffic coming from the Cross Lanes junction along the B6277 to the traffic lights of the County Bridge.
The road narrows at The Sills and the pavement is not wide enough for pedestrians and pushchairs, while HGVs struggle to pass each other at this point.
Startforth resident Jennie White, a member of the A66 community liaison group which covers the stretch through Teesdale, said one idea would be to make the road single file with two-way traffic controlled by priority arrows.
In a letter before this month’s Startforth Parish Council meeting, she said: “Several of us have discussed this before.
“The need for a proper pavement fit for pedestrians is now getting desperate,” added the letter.
“One option would be to get Durham County Council to look at the possibility of making a full size pavement with single way traffic at the bottom of Gill Lane controlled by priority arrows.
“The bulge in the road opposite Ullathorne Rise could be used for a widened pedestrian area for parking and viewing the castle and river safely.” She urged the parish council to convene a meeting involving residents, Durham County Council roads officials and National Highways. Members of the parish council agreed and were broadly supportive of Ms White’s ideas.
Cllr Peter Worley said the road in its current lay-out was simply not wide enough to cope with two-way traffic and pedestrians.
Cllr Chris Carr said if such a scheme was to be done, the vegetation along the river bank next to the road would need to be cut back so drivers had an unimpeded view of what was coming in the opposite direction.
This would mean involving the Environment Agency, the meeting was told.
