Edworth Road Improvements - from Langford village to Langford water tower - Central Bedfordshire

For the attention of Central Bedfordshire Council Highways Department and the Highways Agency.

With regard to Edworth Road, the road that links Langford village at the joining of Station Road and Cambridge Road over the east coast main line railway bridge to Langford Water Tower at the A1 junction dual carriageway trunk road. This road has recently been resurfaced this year during summer 2016.

The new road surface has bedded in nicely. However, the kerbside edges where the loose chipping have fallen away are revealing holes, sunken areas and small crevices again. Whether they were there before this re-surface or whether they are starting to break away again it encourages drivers to veer into the middle of the road away from these substantial holes.

This road in the dark is now very treacherous and it is only a matter of time before there is going to be a head-on collision and a possible fatality in the dark. The hazards will become even worse in the wet and freezing weather during the winter months.

This road is not straight and has a number of curves, both long and slow and sharper turns and is always difficult to traverse at certain points nearer Langford even in the dry warm weather in the dark. It is an unlit so road lines and/or cats eyes are essential for judging space, distance and where the centre point is on this road. There are many vehicles both small and large venturing over the centre line onto the other side of the road i.e. not on their own side.

As a knock-on effect because the road is more difficult to traverse now in the dark, many people are taking the road much slower to compensate and as a consequence there is now more tailgating and driver intimidation too, definitely in peak time traffic, I have seen and been a victim of this and also have video evidence of this. Because of the treacherous nature of this road in the dark regular users of this road are now going out of their way to use different routes so they do not have to use this road at all. As a consequence, they are creating extra pressure on other roads locally.

** This is an essential access and dual carriageway crossing point and as a consequence a relief for other roads in the area **

i) It is an essential access so it does not congest the A507 Shefford to Stotfold more than it is already is in peak times / school drop off times in Henlow, Arlesey and Stotfold.

ii) It also relieves the Biggleswade south London Road junction and A1 entrance. The road from the roundabout at Dunton down to the A1 (north and south) at Edworth, near the water tower, takes away potential traffic from the Biggleswade Junction and also reduces A1 traffic amounts at that point.

Serving our community
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The road serves much of the community crossing east to west from Beds to Cambs and North East Herts and also serves as an entry link to the A1 north and south from many local towns and villages.

What this road needs and "would like to haves"
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1) MUST - A painted dotted centre line or cats eyes for guidance
2) PRIORITY - some kerbside lines
3) SUGGESTION - some proper kerbs put in to stop the road surface splintering away at the edges and creating sunken crevices
4) SUGGESTION - some kind of street lighting, even 5 or 6 lights to cover that 2-mile distance would be better than nothing
5) SUGGESTION - Ideally the road needs widening all the way.
6) SUGGESTION - An extra multi-purpose pedestrian path also considered as this road is used in part by walkers, horse riders and many cyclists. As a cyclist myself who uses this road it is a scary enough road to cycle on in the daylight let alone in the dark without lines.

The lack of lines and road guidance items has been reported by me to http://www.cb-report-it.co.uk/ - the email is: reports@cb-report-it.co.uk and the unique reference number is 286317. Please feel free to add a report should you use the road in the dark, on any form of transport, and feel the same way and want quick improvements. Hopefully, this petition will help towards the re-lining of the road, at the very least.

Video link example
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Here is a video link to a number of journeys in the dark from last week down this road. You can see almost see the road and how difficult it is without any guidance lines or lighting - https://youtu.be/0cDPzFrUif0

Thank you for your time and attention