Badgers Mount: latest on road safety measures

Following earlier posts on the details of the Badgers Mount road safety measures (post of 25 April), some of the proposals are now being brought forward.

• The speed limit reduction to 50 mph on a large part of the Orpington by-pass has now been agreed with the police. The very first part of the by-pass coming from Hewitts roundabout will remain at national speed limit. However, from near the telephone mast some 230 metres north west of Badgers Road, the limit will come down to 50 mph. It will remain the same all the way to Polhill; in other words, the speed limit will not increase again after the Shacklands Road roundabout
• There is a small chance that this can be put forward and approved at the September Joint Transportation Board. However, if there are a material number of objections, then it will have to go in December, which at present looks the more likely option
• The only slightly negative news concerns the island proposed for Orpington by-pass; it is now apparent that this will require some road widening. This is now the subject of a bid within next year's Local Transport Plan, along with the footpath proposals along the eastern side of the by-pass towards the Shacklands Road roundabout
• Designs are being drawn up for an island to link with path SR8 on Old London Road. One consequence of this will be to lose a small section of cycle lane. Officers are also out examining that this will not block access to any houses facing on to the road
• Also in Old London Road, speed limit roundels will be painted in shortly in 12 or 13 places along the road aligned with repeater signs. There will also be a red patch in the road to indicate the start of the speed limit at the Shacklands Road roundabout end. It is hoped that there will be a similar patch painted in at the other end of the road - beyond the boundaries of Badgers Mount and of my Division - but since this is where the road meets the A21, it would have to be dovetailed with any works carried out there by the Highways Agency

Other measures (particularly those paid for from my Member Highway Fund) are being brought forward. I will provide an update on these in a further post as soon as possible.