Safety work starts on crash blackspot at Barton Hill

8:42am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

The Barton Hill junction on the A64 which has been the scene of a number of accidents The Barton Hill junction on the A64 which has been the scene of a number of accidents

IMPROVEMENTS have started on a North Yorkshire crossroads which has been branded one of the region’s worst accident blackspots.

The Highways Agency has started work on the first phase of a safety scheme at the junction at Barton Hill, on the A64 between York and Malton, near Whitwell-on-the-Hill, following a number of accidents in recent years.

A campaign to improve the crossroads has been running for 30 years with the support of North Yorkshire coroner Michael Oakley.

The work was originally due to begin in December and be completed by the end of March. However, this was delayed because of design issues, and the second stage of the scheme has yet to be approved.

County councillor Clare Wood, who has been one of the leading campaigners for improvements at Barton Hill, said it was vital for the work on the stretch of the A64, close to the turn-off for Castle Howard, to be carried out as soon as possible.

“The scheme has not only been highlighted as crucial by local residents, but also by the North Yorkshire coroner, who has been repeatedly concerned because of the fatal accidents which have occurred,” she said, adding that one of the main problems stemmed from lorries crossing the dual carriageway and traffic speeding down the hill towards Malton.

The initial work at the junction will include better signage, clearing vegetation and trees, resurfacing and an improved skid resistance area.

The next phase could include a slip road from the Castle Howard route.

The Highways Agency said the scheme at Barton Hill was one of several due to be carried out on the A64 in Ryedale, with other work taking place at Rillington, Huttons Ambo, Ganton, Old Malton and the Whinny Lane and Claxton Hall estate crossroads.

Barton Hill has been ranked the fourth worst accident blackspot in North Yorkshire, with six accidents – three leading to serious injuries – between 2004 and 2010.

Comments(13)

again says...
10:27am Fri 22 Mar 13

Better still just close the junction.

A while back I met someone who hit the back of a lorry on this junction. His car took the back wheels of the lorry right off and he was in hospital learning to walk again. The lorry driver had been told not to use the junction, it was said, but ignored the instruction to save time.

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bob the builder says...
10:45am Fri 22 Mar 13

Traffic lights and more speed limit enforcement, it's like Santa Pod at peak times.

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Stevie D says...
1:10pm Fri 22 Mar 13

I'm really not sure how much good this will do – it doesn't change the fact that cars are coming over the brow of the hill, there's not enough space for cars wanting to turn right onto the A64 and in the summer there is just too much traffic using the road, leading to people waiting for ages and then getting bored and taking risks. We need some proper works to rebuild the junction in a way that avoids that right turn.

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Bucktrout says...
1:12pm Fri 22 Mar 13

"better signage, clearing vegetation and trees, resurfacing and an improved skid resistance area."

How on earth does this address the issue?

The main problem I have ever experienced is the ability to leave the Castle Howard junction and turn right towards York. It's a nightmare for both those making the manouver and those driving along the dual carriage towards Malton as the vehicle in question crosses.

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MissConstrood says...
1:20pm Fri 22 Mar 13

flyovers needed

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the otter says...
3:57pm Fri 22 Mar 13

a roundabout maybe ..

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Grumpy in ZH says...
4:12pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Both a roundabout and traffic lights are needed. The result will probably be traffic jams at weekends.

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tomdobson says...
4:23pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Doesn't need traffic lights or a flyover or a roundabout !!!!

The best solution is to make the traffic go down the layby and come out onto the A64 200 yards further up the road. That way you have an extra 200 yards to view traffic comin over the hill.

There is already a left turn just before the junction with the A64 and an entrance onto the A64 and a gap in the barrier to turn right. The only work needed would be resurface and paint lines along this layby.

SIMPLE :-)

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Ignatius Lumpopo says...
4:48pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Grumpy in ZH wrote:
Both a roundabout and traffic lights are needed. The result will probably be traffic jams at weekends.
Still not enough. I think they should make every road leading into the junction into a cul-de-sac so no-one can get anywhere.

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AnotherPointofView says...
5:11pm Fri 22 Mar 13

Ignatius Lumpopo wrote:
Grumpy in ZH wrote: Both a roundabout and traffic lights are needed. The result will probably be traffic jams at weekends.
Still not enough. I think they should make every road leading into the junction into a cul-de-sac so no-one can get anywhere.
As someone who hates cars so much, I'm surprised you don't want every road in York turned into a cul-de-sac.

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AnotherPointofView says...
5:18pm Fri 22 Mar 13

tomdobson wrote:
Doesn't need traffic lights or a flyover or a roundabout !!!! The best solution is to make the traffic go down the layby and come out onto the A64 200 yards further up the road. That way you have an extra 200 yards to view traffic comin over the hill. There is already a left turn just before the junction with the A64 and an entrance onto the A64 and a gap in the barrier to turn right. The only work needed would be resurface and paint lines along this layby. SIMPLE :-)
You have a point, Tom.

I'm sure your suggestion is too straight forward and obvious to be adopted though!

One downside is that it does give cars coming down the hill more time to accelerate to a higher speed.

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yorkguy says...
12:40am Sat 23 Mar 13

The second phase of the works does include making the layby into a road one way to access the A64 further east so maybe common sense will be used!

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Magicman! says...
3:48am Sat 23 Mar 13

Signage, a couple of blokes with a chainsaw, and some high friction surface... is that it?! big fat hairy deal.

Everybody (well, everybody except those in charge of finances it would seem) knows the solution is an underpass. You can't close the junction because of the lengthy detours this would involve (yes, gaps between bilbrough and tadcaster have been closed, but to get to a turning point in either direction there you're looking at no more than 4 miles - but at Barton Crossroads it'd be at least double that.

Seperating the seperate lanes of the road to Castle Howard might be a half decent compromise: whereby the exit from the A64 remains at the current location, but the lane for traffic coming from Castle Howard area to the A64 is moved half a mile towards Malton - in this way you wouldn't have traffic in conflicting directions trying to use the central gap at the same time.

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