Drivers are to be banned from turning from a Hereford rat-run onto the main A49 into the city.
In January, Herefordshire Council asked for views on its proposal to prevent right turns from the western end of Hinton Road, by the Welsh Social Club, onto Ross Road immediately before the “Asda” roundabout, a key city junction.
The council said the move would “address the current safety issues”, given that there have been several accidents and near misses at this junction involving vehicles turning right out of Hinton Road – though it conceded that none had been serious.
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During final consultation in February, 18 objections were raised by members of the public, though none by police, fire or other statutory bodies, while there were 17 public submissions supporting the move.
Local ward and city councillor Kevin Tillett also backed the idea, as did National Highways which manages the A49 trunk road.
The public objections included the likely extra traffic on Holme Lacy Road to the south, including from Hinton estate residents, who face an extra mile or more on their journey into town.
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For guests leaving the Welsh Social Club meanwhile, the inconvenience “will in some cases add 20 minutes to journey times”, it was pointed out.
Several respondents also feared drivers might simply get round the ban by taking the short distance southwards along Ross Road to the Hinton Service Station, or to the access-only Priors Walk to the right, then heading back north from there.
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And some suggested that the junction be integrated with the nearby pedestrian crossing, providing a regular break in the southbound A49 traffic and so allowing traffic to join safely from the east.
But the council did not consider these submissions made a compelling case for not going ahead with the scheme as planned.
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The right turning is currently popular, with 400 vehicles recorded making it in a six-hour period recorded by the council last September.
By contrast only two vehicles were seen making the already illegal right turn from Ross Road into Hinton Road.
The council says the cost to it of bringing in the ban will likely be between £10,000 and £15,000, covering the consultation, paperwork, a new no-right-turn sign on Hinton Road, road markings and advertising.
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