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‘Wrong way’ Bishops Green drivers are still risking collisions





Hampshire County Council closed the A339 turn-off to the village on July 29, to allow for drainage and resurfacing works, for up to 14 weeks.
A diversion, from Ash Road, runs south down Ecchinswell Road to its junction with Sydmonton Road, east into Kingsclere, then north up the A339.
Two narrow village roads, Featherbed Lane and Adbury Lane, have been made one-way, to ease traffic congestion through the village during the works.
Villager Kathy Sadler, who lives near the road closure, said she almost collided on three occasions with speeding vehicles travelling in the wrong direction along the one-way system, missing one, she said: “By a hair’s breadth” on the single track lanes, with multiple blind corners and overgrown hedges.
The driver of a mini-bus full of children from a village nursery school, she continued, was intimidated by a man driving a 4 x 4 in the wrong direction along the one-way system. An elderly driver was similarly intimidated in a separate incident, whilst a white van was forced to make a u-turn, after driving through a no-entry sign and meeting a queue of six cars head-on.
Stressing the one-way system was not part of the diversion, the county council’s executive member for Economy, Transport and Environment, Seán Woodward, said signage had been improved, following local concerns:
“We have improved the diversion signage on the roundabout at the top of Ecchinswell Road. The diversion route and one-way system are clearly marked and local residents and businesses have been informed by letter,” said Mr Woodward, adding:
“I urge people to take heed of no-entry signs or other signage, whether they are residents, or are following their satnav.”
Following the improvements however, villager, Pete McEwan, said on Monday (Aug 12), he had spotted drivers still going the wrong way along the one-way system, adding villagers were, he said: “Putting up with this and being careful.”
Mrs Sadler, however, said on Friday (Aug 9), she felt the risk of a collision had lessened following the improved signage and continued:
“The last ‘wrong way’ driver I saw was on Wednesday morning and he was doing a u-turn. The council has added some larger signs near the Darling Buds of May garden centre and that seems to be helping too.”
The road closure also prevented the 103 bus service reaching the village, with a free hourly minibus shuttle service from Ash Road, between 7.55am and 3.55pm.
Pointing out the inconvenience to villagers of a lack of an evening shuttle service, Mr McEwan added it also twice failed to turn up after he waited, including on the first day of the road closure (Jul 29) and on Monday (Aug 12).



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