Horrendous backup on the A590 at Ulverston

Yesterday, Tuesday 11th March at 16:30 onwards there was a back up of traffic travelling east along the A590 through the town. This caused gridlock on the main roundabout at the bottom of Market St to the extent that it was impossible to access the roundabout if approaching it in the opposite direction or from the Ellers. Turning into town along Brewery St across the blocked up traffic became impossible: the island itself had become full of cars. Instead drivers wishing to access the town turned into the opposite side of town and abandoned their vehicles.

The situation was reported to the police on a mobile phone requesting a constable to control access onto the island at 17:00. Had emergency vehicles needed to use the blocked up roads, severe delays would have endangered life and property.

Where you involved with this situation? If so when and in which direction were you travelling?

Steps need to taken immediately. This situation needs to be controlled if a traffic hold up is not to pose a danger here in the immediate future.

It is frightening to think that building plans in the town pose even higher use of roads in a town that were designed for horse and cart. A halt to any increase in the population needs to be imposed until Ulverston's roads have been improved to cope with projected traffic requirements.

The question needs to be answered :

"What is our MP John Woodcock and Ulverston's two county councillors, Mark Wilson and James Airey doing about this?"

" Who is checking that Cumbria's Head of Highways, Andrew Moss and area chief Nick Raymond are doing there jobs satisfactorily?"

The evidence from the inaction along Union Lane, when work was promissed to start in January, is that Ulverston's Highways are not being supervised properly. (see separate report where Planning officer Kate Lawson is critical).