A £4million scheme to upgrade a route between Goole and Crowle has won an international award for being Britain’s Most Improved Road.
His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent presented the prestigious award to East Riding of Yorkshire Council and North Lincolnshire Council for a joint project to improve road safety on the A161 between the M62 junction at Goole and Crowle, in North Lincolnshire.
Work began in 2014 on a scheme to introduce measures including better lining and signage along the route, which carries around 4,000 vehicles a day.
That was followed in 2017 by a major project to resurface a 14-mile stretch of the A161.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which led the scheme, contributed £149,000 in funding and was successful in bidding for a further £3.86million from the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund.
A new type of road stud was also installed on parts of the route in North Lincolnshire. The new studs are up to ten times more visible than traditional ones, giving drivers more time to react to bends in the road.
Before the work was carried out a total of 13 serious accidents were recorded on the road in two years, between 2011 and 2013.
But after the scheme began, only one accident was recorded between 2014 and 2016 – leading to a 92 per cent reduction in serious accidents, which changed the road from being a high risk route to a low risk route.
The achievement was recognised at the annual Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards, which were held in London on Tuesday 11 December.
The awards are presented to organisations or businesses to recognise their outstanding contribution to improving road safety.
At the ceremony, Prince Michael presented the Britain’s Most Improved Road award to representatives from both East Riding and North Lincolnshire councils.
Councillor Neil Poole, cabinet member responsible for highways at North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“I’m proud to see that the hard work North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire councils have put in to make this road safer has been recognised with this international award.
“This is a shining example of two councils working together for the benefit of all our residents, and it’s encouraging to see the measures we put in place along the route lead to such a marked reduction in accidents on the A161.”
Councillor Symon Fraser, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s portfolio holder for strategic asset management, housing and environment, said: “We are very grateful to His Royal Highness and International Road Safety Awards panel for presenting this prestigious award to both our councils.
“It is fantastic that the councils’ joint working on this scheme has been recognised, but even better to know that the work has helped to improve road safety and help to save the lives of drivers using the A161.”
