October 5, 2020 1.15 pm This story is over 41 months old

“Increasingly dangerous” A15 speed limit reduced

Hope to alleviate crash hotspot
The area of the new speed limit on the A15. | Map: Google

Councillors have approved a lower 50mph speed limit on an “increasingly dangerous” section of the A15 between Sleaford and Lincoln.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee gave the go ahead on Monday for the A15 to be reduced from a 60mph to 50mph from Holdingham Roundabout until the entrances to the village of Leasingham.

Speaking in favour of the changes, Councillor Robin Renshaw said: “I have driven this road for donkey’s years.

“It’s been an increasingly dangerous area to drive through because at the exits and entrances drivers do not conform with the highway code.

“It’s regrettable we have got to put this lower speed limit in for the safety of all road users.”

Councillor Lindsey Cawrey suggested the committee could wait to see how works at Holdingham Roundabout and the A17/A153 rugby junction were completed, however, councillors and officers felt the situation would not change.

The stretch of the A15 has seen a number of injuries over the past five years.

Councillor Marianne Overton said: “It is quite a worrying road because of the entrances to Leasingham.”

Councillor Tom Ashton added: “This is a location which I’m very surprised hasn’t had a speed limit on it before now.”

The road has seen 14 injury accidents along that stretch in the past five years and officers said it meets the criteria for the limit.

A survey carried out at the site found vehicles were on average doing 55mph along the road.

The road, a main route into and out of Sleaford and towards Boston, has often seen delays and closures following accidents.

Most recently, in July 2018, Peter Howard, a man in his 50s from the Lincoln area, was pronounced dead at the scene after a green Kawasaki motorcycle crashed with a silver Vauxhall Vectra on the village bypass.

At the meeting on Monday, councillors also unanimously approved plans to reduce the limit on the A151 at Moulton and Weston.