Improvements have been made to a junction of the M6 identified as an accident blackspot.
Members of Cumbria’s Road Safety Partnership have put preventative measures in place at Junction 37.
Through investigation and collaboration with partners including Westmorland & Furness Council, National Highways, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service and Cumbria Constabulary, a number of potential solutions were considered.
All partners considered a number of factors including speed data, traffic counts and previous collisions. The following action was taken and measures put in place by December 2024:
- Westmorland & Furness Council: Upgrades on the A684 including the introduction of double white centre lines to prohibit overtaking, upgraded road studs, yellow ‘rumble strips’, red high friction banding and slow markings across 500 metres of road.
- National Highways: Upgrade of junction to stop layout with relevant signs and road markings on both North and South exit slip roads, carriageway resurfacing, and road marking improvements on the exit slip roads.
- Cumbria police: Roads policing unit adopting patrolling of ‘high-harm’ areas.
Inspector Jack Stabler, of Cumbria police and chair of the Road Safety Partnership, said: “This is a brilliant example of partnership collaboration, with agencies coming together and all looking at steps they can each take to reduce harm at a location.
“Since the prevention measures were implemented, there have been no significant collisions at Junction 37.
“Cumbria Road Safety Partners meet on a monthly basis with the strategic aim of keeping you safe on our road network.”
