Villagers call for A5 safety improvements

Villagers are calling for safety improvements at a single-carriageway stretch of the A5 in Shropshire.

The section north of Shrewsbury includes the spot where a driver died in a crash on Sunday evening.

Montford Parish Council is demanding improved signs and road markings, with a long-term aim of getting the road made into a dual carriageway.

National Highways, which manages the road, said it appreciated the concerns and hoped to renew road markings next month.

In the meantime, drivers have been sharing near-miss experiences.

Chris Hanmer said he was waiting to turn right towards Shrawardine when two cars overtook a tractor coming towards him.

Both crossed double white lines, one of them coming within what Mr Hanmer described as "touching distance" of his vehicle.

"I had no other option but to sit there and wait for whatever impact was going to happen," he told BBC Midlands Today.

Another driver, Edward Goddard, said he had a similar experience at the same junction.

"You think 'here you go, this is the moment'," he explained. "You sort of shut your eyes and wait for it to happen."

Campaigners have long called for the dualling of the A5 in north Shropshire, including the four-mile section between Churncote island near Shrewsbury and Felton Butler.

Montford Parish Council is liaising with neighbouring authorities to campaign for improvements.

Its traffic officer Robin Pocock favours a lower speed limit. National Highways said that would be subject to a "complex process".

"All interventions have a wider impact and need to be carefully assessed to ensure that they don’t introduce any unintended hazards or impact the reliability of our roads unnecessarily," National Highways said in a statement

“We are working closely with the police to monitor safety at this junction and will continue to liaise with the parish council."

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