A15 Speed Limit Reduction Deferred
In a recent meeting of Lincolnshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee, councillors deferred a decision to reduce the speed limit on a treacherous part of the A15 south of Lincoln. The proposed change would drop the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph between Harmston crossroads and Green Man Road south of Waddington and Lincoln. However, concerns have been raised about the reasonableness of this limit.
Concerns from the Council
Council leader, Councillor Martin Hill, expressed surprise at the proposal considering the recent 50mph limit introduction at Leasingham. He stated, "I find very surprising for one of the main arterial routes through the county that we are proposing to put it down to 40mph. I would accept that those who know that road, there is an issue there with people going east to west who abuse the dog leg on the A15."
Further, he noted that average speed cameras along the road might catch overconfident drivers especially during the night hours.
"I think most people would feel that 50mph would seem to be a reasonable compromise. In general, I’m getting more concerned about where speed limits are being put in recently, how many people are actually taking any notice of them?" said Councillor Hill.
Similar concerns were echoed by Committee Chairman Councillor Ian Fleetwood and Councillor Tom Smith. Councillor Fleetwood highlighted that imposing a 40mph limit could displace drivers to riskier routes. Councillor Smith emphasised that issues with the junctions on the stretch were the real problem, not the speed.
The Reason Behind the Proposal
Richard Fenwick, the Head of Highways, explained that the primary reason for the proposed change in speed limit is the mean speed on this road section. Nevertheless, he mentioned that any changes would still require a complete public consultation.
Junction Safety Considerations
Cllr Marianne Overton stressed the need to separately analyse the junctions on the A15 to ascertain if they could be made safer. "If we want things to be consistent, you would put 50 there. If we want them to be enforceable, they have to make sense to local people," she added.
The Wider Picture
The proposed speed limit amendment is in the wake of 27 reported injury accidents over the previous five years on this particular stretch of the A15. Speed surveys in the region displayed average traffic speeds fluctuating between 42-45mph. The report anticipates that the new speed limit would make the road safer.
Next Steps
According to Steve Batchelor from the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, Council officers are now set to perform additional investigations before returning the proposal to a future committee.