LABORATORY chiefs are demanding traffic calming on the A64 near York after lab staff were caught up in an accident scare as they crossed the busy road.

Up to 15 employees had been dropped off by a bus and were walking across to the Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton when the mishap happened.

An eye-witness said a lorry almost jack-knifed and then spilled several tonnes of slurry on to the road.

"They were crossing the road to get to work," said the witness, who did not wish to be identified.

"Most of the traffic slowed down to let people across. But this truck was forced to brake hard to avoid a pile-up.

"If the driver had been unable to stop in time, he would have hit other vehicles and caused a pile-up or injured the pedestrians.

"There are frequent near-misses which cause concern for staff on a daily basis.

"I have witnessed near-misses almost every week for the last two years due to people having to cross the road."

The accident, which caused delays along the A64 for several hours afterwards as police cleared away the slurry, has sparked calls for a footbridge over the road, traffic lights and an alternative bus route.

Prof Mike Roberts, CSL chief executive, said improvements to the junction have been a long-running concern of the labs.

Of the latest incident, he said: "Our staff were crossing the road when some cars stopped to let them across.

"A lorry braked late, swerved and spilled some starchy material on the road.

"None of our staff were hurt in the incident, but they feel this could happen again with more serious consequences.

"It was a scare that raises the profile of the situation at this dangerous junction.

"Improvements have been made to the junction's lighting and layout, mostly at our expense," he said.

"We are in discussions with the Highways Agency, who say traffic lights will actually increase the hazard."

He said a footbridge could be a danger to motorists, as it would create another obstacle on the pavement.

"We would like to see traffic calming measures, such as special surfaces that decrease braking distances."

A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said: "We have no specific plans at present to make any changes to this part of the A64.

"However, a Route Management Strategy is currently under way for the road which will look at all aspects of the operation of the route, including safety."

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, August 23, 2001