Safety review for part of A60 in Nottinghamshire after spate of accidents

A two-mile stretch of the the A60 in Nottinghamshire is undergoing a safety review after a series of serious accidents.

A section of the road south of Mansfield between the Larch Farm Crossroads and Vision West Nottinghamshire College will be examined by the county council.

The stretch includes entrances to the Harlow Wood housing development, and both Portland College and Fountaindale School, which is used by a large number of people with disabilities.

Safety experts from highways from Via East Midlands will work on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council to examine the circumstances of accidents.

The review will include an audit of existing safety measures and crossings on the road, and asses all accidents resulting in injury over the last three years to establish if there are any recurring themes.

It follows a crash in September when a 17-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries in a serious collision on the road outside Portland College.

After the accident Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero called for safety improvements.

She said: “This area is a residential area so it should be safe for residents to walk along this road to and from their homes.

“Motorists go speeding past at 50 mph-plus and there have already been too many accidents.

“We are demanding action before anyone else gets killed or seriously injured.”

Councillor Kevin Greaves, Chairman of the Transport and Highways Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Despite its relatively rural location, this section of the A60 is unique because of its hilly nature and the three large educational establishments in the immediate vicinity, two of which are for people with disabilities.

“The local MP and councillors have also been gathering the experiences of local residents who use the road which, together with the input of representatives from Fountaindale School and Portland College, will play an important role by flagging up specific problems they face.

“Once we’ve gathered all this information together, we’ll assess the outcome and bring forward some new safety measures.”

The review will begin next week with a meeting to discuss road signage, crossing facilities, sight lines, road markings and speed limits.