A SAFETY audit is to be carried on the roundabouts leading to the Sheppey Crossing which has now been open just over a year.

Several lorries have tipped over at the new Cowstead roundabout and the nearby Neatscourt roundabout.

It will be the job of the audit to find out whether lorries have overturned due to their design or whether they have simply been going too fast.

But low-level parapet lighting on the crossing will not be installed because the flight of birds to the Elmley Marshes protected area would be affected.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: “As with all our new-builds, the crossing and the new road network have been subject to independent audits throughout the design and construction phase and prior to their opening to traffic.”

But another audit must be carried out approximately one year after opening and this is being scheduled. The spokesman said: “This audit will include both the Neatscourt and Cowstead roundabouts, which have been built in compliance with Highways Agency standards.

“The Sheppey Crossing opened to traffic on July 3, 2006 and in its first year, between 4.5 million and five million vehicles have used it.

“One of the objectives of the scheme was to reduce congestion and improve journey times between the Island and the mainland.

“As the crossing is a fixed link and traffic flow is not interrupted by shipping traffic, the delays caused by the Kingsferry Bridge lifting are no longer affecting road-users, journey times are quicker and more reliable and congestion on the dual carriageway seems to have disappeared.

“One advantage that this free flow of traffic has resulted in is environmental – reduced congestion means an improvement in air quality as a result. It is also cheaper for road-users and businesses, as fuel is not being consumed due to waiting in queues and time isn’t being lost.”