Further safety measures not needed at junction.

National Highways have deemed that no extra safety measures are needed at a busy junction in south Shropshire.

Meirion Woolf got in touch with Stuart Anderson MP to see what can be done to help improve road safety on the A49/A489 junction north of Craven Arms.

Mr Anderson passed on her request to the National Highways, who have responded. However, the authority believe what is already in place is adequate enough.

“We take road safety very seriously and appreciate the concerns raised about this location,” said regional director, Andrew Jinks.

“We continually monitor safety performance across our network and use collision data and site assessments to help determine where improvements may be required.

“The A49 is already subject to a 40mph speed limit through this junction, and at present we are not considering any further reduction.”

Mr Jinks added that the junction also benefits from a number of safety measures designed to improve driver awareness and visibility.

This, he said, include advance direction and warning signs, enhanced road markings, and bollards to improve visibility, particularly in low-light conditions.

There is also a Vehicle Activated Sign installed on the northbound approach, providing drivers with an advance warning of the junction ahead and encouraging them to adjust their speed appropriately before reaching it.

Mr Jinks said: “We’ll also arrange for the sign to be checked to ensure it is operating correctly and continuing to provide the intended warning to approaching drivers.”

He added that, between 2019 and 2023, there were five recorded personal injury collisions at the junction – one of which was serious.

“A review of more recent available data also doesn’t indicate any recorded personal injury collisions at the junction during 2024 or 2025,” said Mr Jinks.

“Within our Midlands regional safety assessments, the site is currently ranked 120th of 302 monitored cluster sites and isn’t presently considered for further safety investigations or improvement measures.

“As a publicly funded organisation, we must prioritise resources and investment where there is the greatest evidenced need.

“This means directing our limited funding to locations with a proven safety issue, supported by validated collision records and safety data.

“Based on the evidence currently available, there is not a demonstrated need for further improvements at this junction at this time.

“However, we remain committed to continuously monitoring safety performance the location and will review our position should future collision data indicate that further intervention may be warranted.”

Responding to the decision, Ms Woolf said: “Relying strictly on injury statistics completely misses the reality of driving this route.

“Official stats ignore the daily near misses, vehicle write-offs, and damage only crashes where emergency services aren’t called.

“A 40mph limit on paper does little if traffic regularly speeds on the approach,. and advance warning signs mean very little if they aren’t functioning properly or if high friction road surfacing is worn down.

“Waiting for statistics to worsen before taking action is a reactive approach that puts local users at unnecessary risk.

“National Highways must  look beyond spreadsheet figures and deliver a proper speed compliance survey, ensure warning signs are fully working, and carry out a thorough physical site inspection of the road surface and sightlines.”