Stafford Road: Government urged to take action over ‘dangerous' Wolverhampton route
The Government has been urged to include an accident plagued city road in its plans for major highways improvements.
Emma Reynolds wants to see Stafford Road in Wolverhampton added to the new 'Major Roads Network' (MRN), following a spate of recent accidents including a smash that resulted in a death.
The MRN will see money spent on bypasses, road widening, safety measures and junction improvements on major routes maintained by local authorities, and will include around 5,000 miles of key A-roads.
Councils will be able to bid for up to £100 million of funding for each A-road they want to improve under Department for Transport (DfT) proposals.
Wolverhampton North East MP Ms Reynolds said that if Stafford Road is included in the MRN, Wolverhampton Council could be awarded funding to improve safety by installing new speed cameras or other traffic calming measures.
She recently met with Transport Minister Jesse Norman in Parliament to push the issue, having previously asked Transport Secretary Chris Grayling for more cash for speed cameras on the route.
“I recently held a road safety meeting for residents who live on or near the Stafford Road," she said.
"During the meeting a number of concerns were raised about speeding and dangerous driving. People were rightly angry and frustrated.
"I explained residents’ concerns to the Minister and lobbied him for the Stafford Road to be included in the Major Road Network which would mean that the council could apply for funding to improve the road.
"This could include everything from speed cameras to improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. I know from speaking to the council that they are prepared to make such a bid, which I welcome.
“It is clear that there is a problem with speeding on Stafford Road and that this urgently needs to be tackled.
"There are two schools with entrances on the road and another nearby. Going forward I will also raise the concerns discussed at my meeting with West Midlands Police to ensure that these issues are resolved.”
