Response
Disputed
Leicester City Council asserts the highway design at Troon Way complies with relevant standards and underwent multiple safety audits. They will forward the coroner's comments to the Road Safety Auditor for consideration during the final audit. (AI summary)
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Dear Mrs Mason, Re: Paul Millis. Thank you for your letter dated 17th April 2014 enclosing the Regulation 28 Report resulting from the Inquest of Mr Paul Millis . Firstly may take the opportunity to express our deepest sympathy with the bereaved family and friends of Mr Millis following the road traffic collision at Troon Way in December 2013. The Council takes its duty to maintain the public highway in a safe and serviceable condition very seriously and have taken time to carefully review the concerns you have outlined in your report concerning the safety of the highway junction layout at Troon Way: The construction of new junction layout at Troon Way and Nicklaus Road was requirement of planning conditions for the new supermarket that has been built on land adjacent to Troon Way. The developer, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, designed and constructed the works with technical approval from Leicester City Council as the Highway Authority. can confirm and provide assurance that the highway design does comply with relevant standards , including the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Volume 6, Section 2, Part 3 TD 50/04). can also confirm that although the A563 Troon Way is not a trunk road, the higher design standards for trunk roads have been applied during the design process. In` particular, the mandatory standards relating to visibility on approach to junctions have been met: The design of the junction layout was subject to three safety audits by an independent body to ensure that road safety implications are considered for all users of the highway. The safety audits were undertaken at the planning stage, the detailed design stage and upon completion of the works. The safety audit process necessarily involves consultation with the police and other stakeholders. PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT New Walk Centre, Welford Place Leicester LE1 6ZG www leicester gov.uk Our ! City
A fourth safety audit is required to be undertaken after 12 months This will take into account records of accidents and make recommendations for any changes where significant levels of risk to users are identified. Your report specifically includes the following detailed matters of concern which address below: length of the merge on Troon Way for westbound traffic on the exit from the junction; The direction that traffic moves when merging from lanes to one on the westbound exit of the junction; Visibility between westbound and eastbound traffic to and from the merge; The alignment of westbound carriageway on the exit from the junction. The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges advises that for trunk roads merge length of 100 metres is recommended on the exit from signalised junction. This is not a mandatory standard and is advisory. Troon Way is subject to a 4Omph speed limit;, as opposed to the trunk road network where signal design must accommodate higher limits At Troon Way, the merge length of the two westbound lanes, measured in accordance with the standard, is 90 metres Based upon the local circumstances, the highway designer; Highway Authority and the Road Safety Auditor considered this distance to be reasonable and in accordance with that which is experienced at other junctions throughout the United Kingdom: The Regulation 28 report notes that the merge requires traffic to move in opposite directions It is usual practice for the outer lane to merge with the inner lane on the exit of a junction so that slower vehicles do not have to merge with faster moving traffic. This arrangement and alignment for the kerbs and road markings is common and is in place at other junctions in the City and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. With regards to visibility, the design of the junction complies with all mandatory requirements and is common. The street lighting is also to modern white light standards provides enhanced vision at night time when compared to traditional yellow sodium light: In respect of the suggestion that the alignment of the inner lane makes a sudden; very acute move to the right; during the design process an appropriate length of merge was determined having considered the volume of traffic through the junction. However your comment will be` forwarded to the Road Safety Auditor as it is appropriate in this circumstance to be taken into consideration during the final road safety audit: We have also received details from Leicestershire Police of their Collision Investigation Report into the accident: The report does not make any adverse comments in relation to the road layout; but will be made available to the Road Safety Auditor for consideration of the detail when undertaking the final road safety audit: trust that this letter provides an acceptable response to the points raised in the Section 28 report including an explanation as to how the new junction layout complies with standards and how the design was subject to road safety audits. The fourth road safety PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT New Walk Centre, Welford Place, Leicester LE1 6ZG WWW leicester gov.Uk The two and speed and
audit, to be conducted after 12 months will consider in detail reports of any recent serious accidents and incidents at the junction, along with their causes, to help identify any potential design and safety issues arising from the actual use and operation of the junction and make appropriate recommendations
A fourth safety audit is required to be undertaken after 12 months This will take into account records of accidents and make recommendations for any changes where significant levels of risk to users are identified. Your report specifically includes the following detailed matters of concern which address below: length of the merge on Troon Way for westbound traffic on the exit from the junction; The direction that traffic moves when merging from lanes to one on the westbound exit of the junction; Visibility between westbound and eastbound traffic to and from the merge; The alignment of westbound carriageway on the exit from the junction. The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges advises that for trunk roads merge length of 100 metres is recommended on the exit from signalised junction. This is not a mandatory standard and is advisory. Troon Way is subject to a 4Omph speed limit;, as opposed to the trunk road network where signal design must accommodate higher limits At Troon Way, the merge length of the two westbound lanes, measured in accordance with the standard, is 90 metres Based upon the local circumstances, the highway designer; Highway Authority and the Road Safety Auditor considered this distance to be reasonable and in accordance with that which is experienced at other junctions throughout the United Kingdom: The Regulation 28 report notes that the merge requires traffic to move in opposite directions It is usual practice for the outer lane to merge with the inner lane on the exit of a junction so that slower vehicles do not have to merge with faster moving traffic. This arrangement and alignment for the kerbs and road markings is common and is in place at other junctions in the City and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. With regards to visibility, the design of the junction complies with all mandatory requirements and is common. The street lighting is also to modern white light standards provides enhanced vision at night time when compared to traditional yellow sodium light: In respect of the suggestion that the alignment of the inner lane makes a sudden; very acute move to the right; during the design process an appropriate length of merge was determined having considered the volume of traffic through the junction. However your comment will be` forwarded to the Road Safety Auditor as it is appropriate in this circumstance to be taken into consideration during the final road safety audit: We have also received details from Leicestershire Police of their Collision Investigation Report into the accident: The report does not make any adverse comments in relation to the road layout; but will be made available to the Road Safety Auditor for consideration of the detail when undertaking the final road safety audit: trust that this letter provides an acceptable response to the points raised in the Section 28 report including an explanation as to how the new junction layout complies with standards and how the design was subject to road safety audits. The fourth road safety PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT New Walk Centre, Welford Place, Leicester LE1 6ZG WWW leicester gov.Uk The two and speed and
audit, to be conducted after 12 months will consider in detail reports of any recent serious accidents and incidents at the junction, along with their causes, to help identify any potential design and safety issues arising from the actual use and operation of the junction and make appropriate recommendations