You couldn't make it up

This morning a handful of locals met MP George Young at the Tufton intersection. We stood in the bright cold sunshine and described what we had seen over the years - the near-misses, the reversing cars, HGV's and buses off the sliproad, and the cars driving on the wrong side of the road to head back south on the A34. George asked us what we thought would work to stop this happening, and considered the option of some plastic road marking poles along the hatching marking boundary a good solution to try - low cost, could be installed or removed quickly and easily, and should a driver hit them, no worse than some scratched paintwork. Poles that would hopefully stop people cutting the corner coming down, as well as stop them driving up.

We gave our thanks for his meeting us, and George said he'd be in touch.

As he turned away to walk back under the A34 toward Whitchurch, a silver Volvo estate came down the sliproad and immediately moved onto the right-hand side of the road under the bridge, into the face of any oncoming traffic bound for Tufton. The driver realised his or her mistake and swerved quickly back onto the correct side of the road, before then indicating and turning right to head south on the A34.

All in full view of George and the locals gathered.

We cannot presuppose the outcome of today's meeting, and the Highways Agency is now legendary in their adherence to rules, formulas and policy in the face of known issues, countless photos, witness statements and vociferous calls for action from locals. Now a senior minister of the crown and former transport secretary has witnessed an innocent motorist being completely misled by a road's design, and has heard from locals that far from being a rare mishap, this is a daily occurrence.

Fingers crossed.


Footnote: Whilst waiting to meet at the intersection, this photo was taken of a car crossing almost entirely over the hatching and centreline at the intersection. Note the MP standing on the corner looking on.