Is A46 in Rasen area a safe road?

A road safety chief has played down concerns about the A46 in the Market Rasen Mail area after the latest in a series of serious road accidents.
There have been eight crashes, including three fatal RTCs, on the A46 since May last year in the Market Rasen Mail area. Picture: A46 traffic.There have been eight crashes, including three fatal RTCs, on the A46 since May last year in the Market Rasen Mail area. Picture: A46 traffic.
There have been eight crashes, including three fatal RTCs, on the A46 since May last year in the Market Rasen Mail area. Picture: A46 traffic.

John Siddle, Communications Manager for the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, told the Rasen Mail that investigations into RTCs had not revealed any over-riding issues.

He said: “Previous incidents that have been investigated would have found issues with the road - had there been any - and would have been rectified by Highways.

“To my knowledge there are no issues.”

The road was the scene of a two vehicle RTC at Claxby last Tuesday (May 22) in which a man suffered serious injuries.

He was airlifted to hospital.

Police closed off the A46 near the Osgoodby turn off for several hours as they launched an investigation.

No further details have been released.

There is concern in the Rasen and Caistor areas about the safety of the road.

There have been three fatal RTCs since May last year - and two this year.

In addition, there have been been five serious RTCs since last May, including last Tuesday’s incident.

Highways chiefs from Lincolnshire County Council have already agreed to build a new roundabout at a notorious junction on the A46 in the Welton and Dunholme area, to improve safety.

There have been over 30 RTCs leading to injury on that particular junction in the last five years.

MP Sir Edward Leigh backed calls for the roundabout.

A Market Rasen district councillor has also stressed the authority is working with the county council to reduce the number of RTCs.

Coun Tom Smith, speaking after last Tuesday’s RTC, expressed sympathy with anyone involved.

He said: “My thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones or who have a loved one who is injured as a result of an RTC.

“As district councillors, we will do all we can working with the county council to make sure collisions like this don’t happen.”

Coun Smith has previously spoken out on the dangers of the A46 and revealed that he has experienced a family tragedy.

His father was killed in an RTC in 2009, although that incident did not happen on the A46.

Last Tuesday’s RTC means that since January, there have been five serious crashes on the A46 in the Rasen area.

They occurred at Nettleham, Welton, near Casitor, Faldingworth - and now Claxby.

•The Mail contacted Lincolnshire poli ce for a comment about the safety of the A46 but they did not reply before our deadline yesterday (Tuesday).