1,000 signatures reached
To: Government, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Councils
A1307 URGENT - Haverhill, Cambridge the 'Road of Death'. Time for urgent action
What needs to be done: A formal assessment of this road and emergency action taken to begin the process of changing the road infrastructure or creating a bypass that will allow Cambridge and Haverhill to safely use whilst growth continues in the future. We can not afford to have more people taken from us. It will only get worse. WE NEED CHANGE, WE NEED IT NOW!
Why is this important?
It needs no introduction, a simple google search of A1307 will confirm that we hear about accidents and deaths on the road far too often.
As our towns (Haverhill & Cambridge) rapidly grow, this remains the one main route between Haverhill and Cambridge (plus the other villages in between) for commuters.
Cambridge is a fast growing science, research and development town which is growing on a massive scale. Companies far and wide choose Cambridge as a place to be located. Many large organisations will have a Head Office or a hub in this town and more and more moving in on a weekly basis.
House are quickly being built in Cambridge and the demand for jobs here is high.
However, as house prices in Cambridge and the outskirts continue to rise, employees in and around Cambridge are forced to live outside of the Cambridgeshire area due to the cost of renting or buying a home. Affordable areas that are local are hard to come by as we see house prices increase, thus people move just across the boarder into Haverhill, Suffolk where house prices have risen but within an affordable rate. Haverhill house are constantly being built to keep up with demand but sadly the infrastructure of transportation links and road capabilities into Cambridge remains exactly the same as it was when it was first built.
A1307 is made up mostly of single carriage way, poor lighting, horrific uneven road surfaces and 2 very short dual carriageways which have entrances and exits off to and from other villages (which makes the roads extremely dangerous to cross at any point due to the sheer volume of traffic.
Haverhill began major expansion in 1956 during a time that many families were re-settled there from London. 50 years ago this road would have been fit for purpose. However over the past 20 years, the A1307 has begun to replicate, only what can be described as a grave yard, the 'road of death' (as it's been called by local media) contains many many memorial sights, children, families, sons, fathers, mothers!
Drivers do hold a responsibility to drive this road with care and attention, however, one wrong move in the spur of the moment and the lives of people are changed forever.
In the event of an accident; which is a regular occurrence on this road, it not only affects those involved but families, friends, our struggling emergency services, witnesses, those who stop to help. We all have to live with this. Sadly many people you speak to in the area and beyond, will have a story to tell about the A1307 or know someone who has been in an accident on this road or worst still, lost their life.
This road needs upgrading in some way, speed cameras in more place, average speed check checks, no overtaking bollards, perhaps a few round-a-bouts at junctions. Or a new bypass that is actually fit for purpose.
This is as much the responsibility of Suffolk as this is Cambridge. We all need to pull together to make the authorities stand up and listen.
Haverhill in Suffolk is town that is growing at dramatic rate with its recent development of a research park, the town with a population of over 27'000 (2014 figures). Added to this we have the industrial area which is home to many businesses that use the road many many times a day along with their lorries and vans. All of this growth, additional shops, and with businesses expending, the roads and transport systems have NOT even been touched. We also then have the other villages who access Cambridge via the A1307 as their only route to the towns.
As we begin 2017 we have seen an accident that has already taken another 2 lives away from us. The people of Cambridge and Haverhill risk their lives every day when using this stretch of road, the only stretch of road for Cambridge to Haverhill (and vice verse). We have seen so much 'talk', so many promises but yet innocent people are still dying and being injured being on this road and changes are NOT being made.
People are dying, lives of loved ones being damaged beyond repair, nothing is changing. This road is one of England's worst A roads and the infrastructure is NOT coping with the growth that has to happen. The population in Cambridge and Haverhill is rapidly growing and the road system needs to change to accommodate this growth. It has been left unchanged and as each day passes we prepare to hear about another accident or death. This is unacceptable and we should not be expected to live in an area where it is too dangerous to use the roads and to put that risk on ourselves.
