New road markings have been installed at a busy junction in King’s Lynn following concerns from residents and emergency services about how vehicles were blocking the road.
The new cross-hatching has been installed near Gaywood Clock in the town and is designed to prevent queuing traffic from Wootton Road blocking the junction and restricting vehicles travelling from Gayton Road.
Gaywood councillor Rob Colwell welcomed the new markings. He said: “The issue had been raised because congestion at the junction could impede access, including for emergency service vehicles.”
Cllr Rob Colwell had allocated funding for the scheme through his Local Member Fund.
Norfolk County Council had allocated an £11,000 pot of funding to each of its 84 members for local road improvements since 2017.
But this was removed when David Bick, Reform UK leader of the council, decided to reallocate the pot so it could be spent on general road maintenance.
Cllr Colwell added:“I’m really pleased to see the cross-hatching finally in place at Gaywood Clock. This is a practical improvement which came from listening to residents’ concerns and consulting with our emergency services about the problems caused when traffic blocks the junction.
“The aim is straightforward: to stop traffic queuing from Wootton Road blocking vehicles coming from Gayton Road and, importantly, to make sure emergency services can get through when they need to.
“It has taken a lot of chasing to get to this point, but I’m pleased that the work has now been completed. It shows how relatively small, targeted improvements can make a real difference to residents and road users.”
Cllr Colwell had previously raised the outstanding works with the cabinet member for highways and transport, asking when delayed road-lining schemes across Norfolk would be completed.
He said the completed project also demonstrated the value of the former Local Member Fund, through which county councillors were able to support smaller highways and community projects in their divisions.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Colwell added: “This was one of my final applications through the Local Member Fund. Schemes like this show why having access to locally directed funding mattered: councillors could identify a specific problem raised by residents and work towards a practical solution. The fund must come back next year.
“I’ll continue raising the everyday highways issues that affect people in Gaywood and working to get practical improvements delivered.”
