Forthcoming Road Closure, Inkerman Terrace
From 7th September for about five weeks the A5094 (Inkerman Terrace) in Whitehaven will be closed for repairs.
I cannot criticise the County Council for the fact that they are going to repair the road because it really does need doing. But the implications for traffic in Whitehaven from September to mid-October will be horrendous. This is one of the three key routes into Whitehaven, and the main one from Sellafield.
The traffic chaos on the other routes into and out of town, especially some of the narrow residential roads which may experience rat running, will be bad. There will also be issues for those local streets - and I'd better declare an interest as I live in one - which are usually reached through the secion of road being closed.
The one-way restriction on the Northern part of Foxhouses Road between the A5094 and Ehen Drive junctions will be lifted while the repairs are in process.
The recommended alternative route into Whitehaven from Sellafield is to continue up to the Pelican garage and then turn left down New Road, which of the routes into Whitehaven undoubtedly has the greatest capacity and is probably least likely to jam solid.
The official notice I have received does not mention any proposal to restrict drivers from rat-running through Midgey (e.g. down Park Drive) and I have heard conflicting rumours about whether some emergency measure is under consideration to restrict this. I have not as the ward councillor been notified of any attempt to restrict people from making a 180 degree turn at the Sunny Hill pub and coming down Solway View into Whitehaven town centre. I can see why CCC as Highways authority might want to make such restrictions a last resort but it is possible that for safety reasons they may be forced to do so.
Either of those routes would be extremely unsuitable for large volumes of traffic and unsafe for people driving fast. Both routes contain sections of road where it is usually impossible due to parked vehicles for cars to pass simultaneously in opposite directions.
I cannot criticise the County Council for the fact that they are going to repair the road because it really does need doing. But the implications for traffic in Whitehaven from September to mid-October will be horrendous. This is one of the three key routes into Whitehaven, and the main one from Sellafield.
The traffic chaos on the other routes into and out of town, especially some of the narrow residential roads which may experience rat running, will be bad. There will also be issues for those local streets - and I'd better declare an interest as I live in one - which are usually reached through the secion of road being closed.
The one-way restriction on the Northern part of Foxhouses Road between the A5094 and Ehen Drive junctions will be lifted while the repairs are in process.
The recommended alternative route into Whitehaven from Sellafield is to continue up to the Pelican garage and then turn left down New Road, which of the routes into Whitehaven undoubtedly has the greatest capacity and is probably least likely to jam solid.
The official notice I have received does not mention any proposal to restrict drivers from rat-running through Midgey (e.g. down Park Drive) and I have heard conflicting rumours about whether some emergency measure is under consideration to restrict this. I have not as the ward councillor been notified of any attempt to restrict people from making a 180 degree turn at the Sunny Hill pub and coming down Solway View into Whitehaven town centre. I can see why CCC as Highways authority might want to make such restrictions a last resort but it is possible that for safety reasons they may be forced to do so.
Either of those routes would be extremely unsuitable for large volumes of traffic and unsafe for people driving fast. Both routes contain sections of road where it is usually impossible due to parked vehicles for cars to pass simultaneously in opposite directions.
Comments