I've received an email two four five emails from Tufton residents on the subject of the intersection and vehicle speeds:
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...it would be a pleasure to assist in giving full support to improving the hazardous road way which leads to Nuns Walk. I should say I think this involves pedestrians, cyclists and cars alike as the turn right in to Nuns Walk is extremely dangerous, and i have experienced a number of very near misses. I can also state that on a number of occasions i have witnessed cars travelling under the A34 towards Whitchurch on the wrong side of the road, clearly oblivious of the fact that the road at this point becomes two way.
Whilst I know that many cycle, we have for a number of years stopped our children from cycling to town because of the lack of path. That said the corner which follows the immediate turn is also dangerous as to a large extent blind and cars travel at remarkable speeds along Nuns Walk, as it is a rat run on many sat nav systems.
And from another resident:
Hopefully the local people I emailed today will all have witnessed the many vehicles that are not only on the wrong side of the road coming down the off ramp but those cars who are obviously very confused with the intersections layout, despite signs, and end up driving up the on ramp trying to go north bound on the A34. This has happened many times.
The other classic is lorries turning to go back or reverse back after they see the no entry sign and the road size and restrictions on Nuns Walk, not to mention cars stopped at the Nuns Walk/Tufton turn facing the on coming traffic with maps out, lost.
The stories and near misses are numerous!
I had to clarify this, the author confirmed she was referring to cars and HGV's driving up the off-ramp - i.e. into the traffic coming from the south - to try and go north on the A34.
Then there's this:
This intersection is lethal . I have tried in the past to bring to the attention of HCC , but the response I received was that until a fatal accident actually occurs nothing can be done do to reduce speed and produce better signage- ridiculous !
This campaign has my full support.
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(highlight added by Ed for emphasis)
This, dear reader made my blood run cold when I read it. Many, many times we have cycled that road, waiting in the centre of the left-hand lane to turn right into Nun's Walk. The thought that a car might come around the corner at 50+ MPH, oblivious to the fact it is a two-way road, and smash head-on into a family of five, completely unprotected on bicycles, does not bear thinking about. It would be multiple fatalities, no question. It would make the national news. Hampshire Highways and the Highways Agency would be interviewed.
No doubt they would say it was a 'tragic accident', that 'could not be foreseen', that 'nothing could have been done' to prevent it.
Apologies for those of a gentle constitution, but: BULL_SH*T.
I believe the applicable term here is 'clear and present danger'. There are many factors involved here: 60 and 70MPH speed limits, sharp corners, banked roads, limited visibility, downhill slopes, intersections, cyclists, pedestrians, one way-two-way traffic flow change, bus stop, underpass with contrasting light/dark areas, large, slow farm vehicles turning etc etc. One or two of these factors could be accepted and managed. But all dozen or so, at once, with no warning, is too much of a cognitive load for even an experienced driver to deal with. That is why I say this has been engineered (or not un-engineered) into a mantrap.
This is why I'm passionate about holding our County and National representatives to account here, to get action on a section of local road that is clearly dangerous. That is currently designed and regulated to funnel unsuspecting motorists into a situation they did not anticipate and once there, cannot get out of due to the speed and nature of the road.
No-one has died...yet. That is pure luck. Residents know it. Road users know it.
Will those we employ to manage our roads, that we entrust to keep us safe, our elected representatives - will they answer public calls to remove the designed-in risk here?
UPDATE: A resident copied me in on this email to our County Councillor, Tom Thacker. It is reproduced with his permission:
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My wife and have lived in Tufton for 10.5 years and during our time we have encountered numerous near misses in turning right in to Nuns Walk from Winchester Road. In general these are as a result of drivers from the A34 using a two lane slip road, which moves in to a single lane, being oblivious to the fact that the one way slip road becomes two way under the A34 bridge. Whilst there are hatched lines regretfully many drivers cut corners or indeed don't recognise e reason for them being on the road. They therefore travel for some distance on the wrong side of the road.
I am fortunate that we have not had an accident, but this is in my opinion despite the layout of the road net work. Both my wife and I were disappointed to see that the recent works undertaken on the slip road didn't result in a solution to a clear danger.
This is further compounded by the speed that drivers travel along Nun's Walk as a result of it being a sat nav rat run to travel to Hurstbourne Priors and beyond without needing to go to Whitchurch.
All this has meant that as a family we have decided the boys are not allowed to use their bikes to travel to Whitchurch unless my wife and I are with them. Even then due to the breadth of the footpath, on which we insist the boys cycle, my wife and I need to walk in the road.
As I am sure you appreciate the situation is at best most unsatisfactory and at worst, a pure danger to all road users.
