by Dennis TowleCOUNCILLORS have approved a £45,000 road safety package for a notorious stretch of the A59 near York.

The road between the A1 and Moor Monkton has already claimed two lives. The latest victim, Cyril Young, 78, of Green Hammerton, died in a head-on smash on Monday at Dickinson crossroads.

Members of the county council's area highways committee voted for an extensive list of short-term measures - but proposals for a £265,000 roundabout were put on hold. The work to be carried out during the next 12 months includes double white lines at four locations - west of Hopperton Lane and Dickinson crossroads, and both west and east of Whixley crossroads.

At other points in the road will be warning signs, hazard lines, central hatching and red surfacing; and, at the junction with the B6265 near Green Hammerton, traffic islands will be installed in a bid to reduce accidents.

County council traffic manager Graham Cressey said: "There are funds in the new financial year's budget for all these short-term measures to be introduced.

"White lining and signing has proved very successful with road accidents down by 73 per cent to just over one a year."

Members rejected the Department of Transport's suggestion for a staggered junction costing £143,000.

Committee chairman Cliff Wilson said: "It would be a suicide junction. The only value-for-money solution is a roundabout."

They approved a resolution stating that a roundabout was their "preferred" solution, and agreed to review this option at the end of the year.

Mr Cressey told them that 60 other accident blackspot schemes had been given a higher priority than the A59.

Coun Dean Howson said they should not rush headlong into the expense of a new roundabout. An accident blackspot at the A19/A63 junction at Barlby had been almost obliterated by installing solid traffic islands to stop overtaking and protect vehicles turning right.

Members also asked highways officials to look at reducing the A59 speed limit from 60mph to 50mph.

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