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.
๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฑ๐ญ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐. ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง? ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ? ๐๐ซ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐?
As it was a strategic road that was closed, the scheme has to use major strategic destinations on its diversion signs. Weโve reviewed the comments received and are aware that some of our signage caused confusion which weโll rectify for the next closure.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐. ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก. ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ยพ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ. ๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐.
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 donโt promote customers using roads which are not suitable or permissible for all traffic, however if itโs a public highway and the laws permit the use, then motorists can obviously use alternatives.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ ๐.๐๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐.
Thereโs 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 weโve passed these concerns onto Bedfordshire Police as well as Bedford Borough Council.
