Liberal Democrat Council Aims to Cut Accidents with New Traffic Lights at Busy Junction

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 13th Jun 2005

New traffic lights have now been switched on by Milton Keynes Council to improve safety on the V4 at Burchard Crescent, Shenley Church End.

A total of 51 road users have been hurt in collisions at this site over the last 10 years, and tragically one of those died.

Traffic signals have been installed at this junction as part of a scheme to improve safety, after a study showed that the crashes had happened because of conflict between vehicles travelling on Watling Street and those emerging from Burchard Crescent. The traffic lights will control vehicle movements at this location and lower the risk of collision.

Councillor Graham Mabbutt, Liberal Democrat cabinet member responsible for Transport and Highways, said: "Reducing road accidents is a high priority for the Council. We are determined to reduce the accidents at this particular junction. The improvements to the junction are now complete with the switch on of the lights and we are asking road users to take extra care driving through the lights for the first few times.

"We will be monitoring the timing of the lights to ensure that we have the balance right to optimise traffic flows, while taking everyone's safety into account."