Frustrated Woodcote residents have unanimously backed a petition lobbying the government to deal with the mounting death toll on the A41.
People living along the section of the busy road between Woodcote Hill and Pave Lane branded the stretch ‘a death trap’ – and demanded that something is done to reduce accidents.
The outburst comes after a local man launched a petition on the Prime Minister’s website calling for immediate action.
The petition has attracted 19 signatures – but organisers hoped that the final tally would reach hundreds or even thousands.
“God only knows how many deaths there need to be on this road before they spend some money and do something about it,” said Roger Cliffe, who lives alongside the busy road.
“Around 18 months ago they put up a Speed Indicator Device but within six weeks it snapped off in the wind and the council did absolutely nothing about it.
“It lay there broken for months, during which time there were two more fatal accidents.
“They would have passed the sign had it been there, so who knows, they may have slowed down and a life may have been saved.
“I rang the council to let them know that it was broken and they said that there was a dispute going on about who should be carrying out repairs.”
There have been 56 accidents on the A41 in the last nine years, including five fatalities.During the inquest of William Henry Todd, aged 81, who died in May, Telford & Wrekin coroner Mr Michael Gwynne expressed his grave concerns about the road.
Resident Alan Mason, who started the petition, said: “Over the last couple of years there have been many fatalities especially between Tern Hill and Newport.
“The whole route needs to be properly improved and the sections past houses and through villages should have reduced speed limits.”
Woodcote resident Christina Rugg, of New Lodge, added: “I’ve been living here for 11 years but things have definitely got a lot worse in the last couple of years.
“When I turn out of my drive I have to make absolutely sure that nothing is coming, but even then by the time I’ve built up some speed there is a lorry right behind me flashing its lights and sounding its horn.”
Husband Gordon Rugg agreed that action on the road was long overdue.
He said: “It’s not the road that is the problem, it’s the careless drivers.
“Everything comes down here at such speed and there is so much carelessness that it takes some believing.
“I don’t know what the answer is, but something has to be done before more lives are lost.”
The A41 is a national speed limit road in places and is maintained by Shropshire County Council and Telford & Wrekin Council after being de-trunked by the Highways Agency.
The petition can be viewed at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/A41Shropshire.
