The central reservation crossing gaps in the A1 at Little Ponton and Great Ponton in Lincolnshire need to be closed immediately to improve road traffic safety and save lives.

Road traffic incidents at the Little Ponton and Great Ponton A1 cross over gaps in the central reservation cause traffic disruption at least weekly, with serious accidents on a monthly basis.  "Change of Road Layout" signage needs to be installed to divert traffic to join the A1 safely using the junctions at Colsterworth and south Grantham, where slip lanes are available.  

The central reservation gaps at Great Ponton and Little Ponton allow vehicles to join fast-flowing traffic directly into live lanes, but without a slip lane to build up an appropriate speed before joining other vehicles.  The outcome: near misses, crashes and, in the worst cases, loss of life.  Long traffic jams build up whilst clear-up teams and Police investigations are underway.

Local residents are most frequently and directly affected, due to:

• air quality changes due to miles of stationary vehicles running their engines for either a/c or heat
• traffic jams disrupting their ability to go about their day-to-day lives, including late childcare collections and children left at the school gates
• loss of income from being unable to make deliveries/collections in a timely manner
• wondering whether a friend of family member is involved in the road traffic incident

Attached is the National Highways map of the gap closures that were carried out last year, mostly farm and pedestrian crossings.  The dangerous crossings have yet to be closed.