As promised Richard put a number of questions to National Highways that were raised with him about the recent A421 diversion. He has now received their response which is posted, unedited, below.
Richard Fuller MP said:
Following a number of comments about the diversion route following the most recent weekend closure, I put your questions to National Highways. Please let me know your thoughts as I imagine some of the answers may well raise further questions.
𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐱𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝟒𝟐𝟏 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝟏. 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬? 𝐎𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞?
As it was a strategic road that was closed, the scheme has to use major strategic destinations on its diversion signs. We’ve reviewed the comments received and are aware that some of our signage caused confusion which we’ll rectify for the next closure.
𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝟒𝟐𝟏 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝟏𝟒 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 ¾ 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝟏 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝟒𝟐𝟏 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝.
The project has a strategic diversion route which is the A1/A603 suitable for all road users which has been authorised by Bedford Borough Council. We don’t promote customers using roads which are not suitable or permissible for all traffic, however if it’s a public highway and the laws permit the use, then motorists can obviously use alternatives.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝟕.𝟓𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝.
There’s a weight ban on the high street in Great Barford which would need to be enforced by the Police if being ignored by motorists. National Highways has no powers to intervene in these circumstances, however we’ve passed these concerns onto Bedfordshire Police as well as Bedford Borough Council.
