More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A new crossing at the site of an 'accident black spot' is the latest attempt to slow down traffic on a main road.
Kent Highways has set out plans to install a new zebra crossing close to the crossroads of Dover Road and Granville Road in Walmer.
It will be sited outside property numbers 196 and 169, just 18 metres up from the Granville Road turning, if travelling in the direction of Dover.
District councillors for Walmer, Chris Vinson and Derek Murphy, have fully backed the plans.
They say they have been contacted by many residents with safety concerns and more recently, issues with speeding traffic.
Cllr Vinson said: "This junction on Dover Road has been an accident black spot for too long, and we're delighted that the pressure we've put on Kent Highways and Kent Police to tackle speeding and safety issues here have borne fruit.
"A minority of motorists have used the lockdown as an excuse to drive recklessly on quiet roads, and we've seen two serious accidents on Dover Road in recent months.
"This new pedestrian crossing will make it safer for pedestrians to cross the road and slow down traffic, making it safer for vehicles to pull out."
In addition, they are speaking to Kent Police, Walmer Parish Council and the Dover District Council Community team regarding a potential Community Speedwatch initiative.
According to Crash Map, this section of the road has witnessed more than 15 accidents in the past decade up until 2019. Of them, only one - in March 2010 - was rated as 'serious'.
These figures do not include two recent incidents during lockdown.
The first involved a black Honda motorbike and a silver Renault Clio and resulted in the biker being airlifted to hospital with life threatening injuries on April 2, 2020.
In May, a man and woman were taken to a local hospital after their car mounted the kerb just past the Esso garage.
A slow down sign is the most recent speed calming measure to have been placed at the site in recent years.
If approved, the crossing will be the second of its type along the same stretch of road. The other is located at the entrance to Marke Wood Park.
Kent Highway's consultation opened on June 19 and will run until noon on July 13.
