Transport / Community council objects to ‘pointless’ 50mph Levenwick limit – with road redesign their priority
DUNROSSNESS Community Council has objected to plans to introduce a temporary 50mph speed limit on the main road above Levenwick.
The lower speed limit on the A970, proposed by Shetland Islands Council (SIC), would act as an interim measure ahead of possible road safety improvements.
But at a meeting in December, members of the Dunrossness Community Council said they felt introducing a lower speed limit would be “pointless”.
Minutes from the meeting said the community council believes the change would “not solve the main issue of the road being too narrow”.
“They felt that those who travel too fast on this section of road for its poor design would continue to do so regardless of a reduced speed limit,” minutes from the meeting added.
“It was also agreed that the redesign of this section of road should remain a priority.”
As one of the narrowest sections of a two-lane road in Shetland, the main road above Levenwick has long been a concern on safety grounds.
A full widening has previously been proposed, but another possible option could be to install barriers and improve the blind summit, which would bring improvements to the road quicker.
Councillors were previously told, however, that the latter could potentially be designed in a way to enable the widening still to take place in the future.
Responding to Dunrossness Community Council, the SIC’s roads manager Neil Hutcheson said “while the narrow carriageway on the A970 at Levenwick is a problem it is not the issue that the proposed 50mph speed limit is intended to address”.
He added: “The road’s surroundings and its poor alignment could be a contributory factor in the severity of any accidents occurring along this length of the A970, especially the steep bank on the east side of the road.
“The blind summits and tight bends also increase the likelihood of an accident.
“In these situations, where the road has not been designed to the latest standards, we will consider introducing a reduced speed limit to reduce the likelihood of accidents and to reduce their severity should they still occur.
“This is in line with the ‘Safe System’ approach to road safety that the council recently adopted.
“A part of this system is speed management and the use of speed limits, where appropriate, to reduce vehicles’ speeds.”
Hutcheson continued by saying the A970 at Levenwick, due to the various hazards along its length, would be considered a suitable road length for a reduced limit.
“The intention is that this would be introduced on a temporary basis until the road’s width and alignment are improved,” he added.
“This is currently second on the council’s prioritised list of capital road improvement schemes and is programmed to commence on completion of the B9082 Cullivoe road improvements.
“This is expected to be in two years time.”
Hutcheson asked the community council if its objection still stood, with members unanimously agreeing not to withdraw their objection.
The objection means that the matter now will now go in front of councillors for a decision.
Recent minutes from the Sandwick Community Council highlight that members there would welcome the reduced speed limit.
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