Road closure leaves Cotswold villagers using dangerous junction
Residents living in a Cotswold village say they are being forced to use a dangerous road junction where there are "deaths and accidents regularly".It follows the closure of a minor road from Brimpsfield to the A417 as part of the Missing Link scheme to build a dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester.The closure means locals are using the busy Birdlip junction on the A417 for the most direct route to Cirencester, which involves crossing both lanes of traffic.National Highways said it "understands the concerns of the residents" and that work was being phased "very carefully to minimise the impact on local communities and motorists".
Martin Smith, who has lived in Brimpsfield for nearly 50 years, said there are "deaths and accidents regularly" on the junction.He explained drivers end up waiting at the junction for a gap to appear. "If a lorry is coming it's probably doing 30 or so miles an hour, but motor cars they can sometimes be going 60 or 70," he said."Very recently I was at that junction, taking two of my family to Kemble and a car came over the top and I thought, I've got plenty of time. But then I thought, No, I haven't and the car hit me up the backside while waiting to join the main road, so it is a notorious junction," Mr Smith added. He said "on the positive side", rat running through the village "is probably going to come to an end, when the missing link is done".Another resident, Patrick Daley, said it was "a terrible junction"."Since we've lived here two women have been killed. It is dangerous and people who are coming up the hill are very pleased to be on the flat again, so put their foot down. "You have to be very conscious to get out safely, so I take my time".
The road was initially supposed to close for six weeks from March, but now looks set to remain shut into the summer.Steve Foxley, National Highways' project director for the Missing Link scheme, said they were doing "everything we can" to minimise disruption and keep residents informed.He added: "We understand the concerns of the residents at this location, and we will be opening the local access road by early June, or earlier if possible.""For safety reasons, drivers are unable to access the A417 due to the contraflow in place but access remains from the Elkstone/Highwayman Inn junction" he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Tesla's UK car sales drop over 45% in May, New AutoMotive early data shows
June 4 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab new car sales in Britain tumbled more than 45% from a year earlier in May, preliminary data from research group New AutoMotive showed on Wednesday. The automaker, which has been losing market share in part because of CEO Elon Musk's embrace of far-right politics in Europe, sold 1,758 units in Britain last month, down from 3,244 a year earlier, the data showed. Yet, Tesla remained the best-selling battery electric vehicle in Britain so far this year. Overall new car registrations in the UK increased 4.3% to 144,098 units in May, according to New AutoMotive, with BEV sales rising 28% year-on-year. Among Chinese rivals, BYD ( opens new tab more than doubled its new car sales in the UK to 1,388 units during the month.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Shoppers gobsmacked after bizarre Land Rover smash leaves one motor mounted on top of another
YOU can't park there madam! Supermarket shoppers are gobsmacked after a car park prang left one motor mounted on top of another. The smash is said to have happened when a woman in a Land Rover reversed into another car, flipping it over and hitting a silver VW Beetle. 4 4 Others pointed out it looked like a modern sculpture. Former Army aircraft technician David Bowden posted pictures on social media, adding: 'It's all happening in Falmouth Sainsbury's. 'It is amazing, like a bit of modern art, or a collapsed game of Jenga.' Mark Carveth joked: 'The winner of the 2025 Turner prize is a sculpture from Falmouth.' Dawn Chittock said: 'Would make a great Specsavers advert.' The incident happened at a Sainsbury's supermarket in Falmouth, Cornwall, on Saturday. A tannoy went out in the store asking for the driver of the blue car to attend the car park - where they were in for a shock. The vehicles were all recovered and no one was hurt. Two people were in one of the vehicles at the time of the crash, but both got out of the vehicle uninjured. Cops said the drivers swapped insurance details at the scene. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We were called to Sainsbury's, Falmouth, car park at around 1.30pm on Saturday 31 May following a report of a three vehicle collision. "Only one vehicle had occupants but both got out of the car uninjured. All vehicles were recovered and insurance details swapped." A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended an incident in the car park of our Falmouth store on Saturday afternoon. A small section of the car park was closed for a couple of hours and we're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused." 4 4
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Oasis star Noel Gallagher's Bentley goes on sale for £1.2 million
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher's red 1997 Bentley Turbo R has gone on sale priced at £1.2 million. The four-door saloon car listed on Auto Trader was previously owned by the 58-year-old, despite the fact he cannot drive, once telling Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show that he gave up learning after being mobbed by children when he was told to park close to a school for a lesson. Speaking about the sale, Erin Baker, editorial director at Auto Trader, said: 'Cars listed by music legends don't come around very often, and Noel Gallagher's Bentley Turbo R is certainly one for the Auto Trader history books. 'With over 80 million visits to Auto Trader every month, we expect this rock 'n' roll ride to strike a chord with music lovers and car collectors alike.' The car also has the number plate 'OASI6 2', in reference to his Britpop band, who will reunite to play a run of gigs this year in the UK and Ireland, featuring stops at Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, and Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium, throughout July, August and September. Despite not being able to drive, Gallagher was ordered to pay a court £1,000 and was handed six penalty points in April 2023, for failing to tell police who was driving his Range Rover, when it was clocked speeding at 41mph on a 30mph stretch of the A40 in Edgware Road, West London. Speaking about his driving lesson in the 1990s, Gallagher told Ball in 2023: 'I have had one driving lesson in the 90s and I was driving round a housing estate in Slough and she (the instructor) said to me, 'if you just indicate and pull over here' then I pulled over. 'She got out the car she said, 'I'll be back in a minute', she came out with her mum, she drove me to her house. 'Then the local comprehensive bell went and they all came out. 'This is at the height of Oasis-mania and I was like, 'never, never again'.' Gallagher began his career in the 1990s with Oasis, who he formed alongside his brother singer Liam Gallagher. The band has gone on to have eight UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, and is best known for songs such as Wonderwall, Rock 'N' Roll Star and Live Forever. The guitarist formed the High Flying Birds after Oasis's initial break-up in 2009, who have gone on to have four UK number one albums.
