Action to curb crashes at notorious blackspot after three deaths
The road is set to close for four weeks of repairs after it subsided over the years
Lisa Porter
A notorious stretch of road which has claimed the lives of three people is set to close for a month in a bid to fix the problem.
The C627 Fodder Dyke Bank in Midville, near Stickney, has subsided and has become a blackspot for crashes with ten accidents in 14 months.
A man in his 60s died after a four-way smash on the road on April 13, 2016 after his car plunged into a drainage ditch beside the road.
Two years eariler, Coroner Stuart Fisher recommended crash barriers should be installed along the road when 22-year-old Josh Booth was killed after his car also careered in the drain. A third person also died in another crash on the site during the same 14 month period.
And a woman, a three-year-old and a baby were in a car that crashed into the dyke in February 2015 near to where Josh had died. They escaped with escaped with minor injuries.
Campaigners have been fighting to have action taken to make the road safer and have now been told Lincolnshire County Council plans resurface a 1,250m section of the highway, which will be shut for four weeks from March 2018.
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Parish council chairman Glyn Nunn said: "The road is notorious for crashes so this is brilliant news. It is a pity the council does not have the funds to repair the full stretch of road. A lot of traffic uses this road to travel between Wainfleet and Boston so it may cause some issues on this busy stretch.
"I have had to have my wheel repaired a few times following damage made by the roads and I know many people have had springs go in their vehicles."
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The reconstruction work is set to use an innovative technique to resist the effects of Fenland roads subsiding. The existing top layer of the road is set to be crushed and recycled into a new base layer.
A new surface will then be put on top which will be strengthened with an underlying steel mesh.
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Traffic travelling along Fodder Dyke Bank will be diverted via Hobhole Bank, the B1184 Benington Bridge, Station Road, Sibsey, the A16 and the C627 Horbling Lane.
Traffic travelling along Black Drove will be directed via Scarborough Bank and Midville Lane or via Barlode Drain and C67 Station Road.
Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways, said: "We've had a lot of success with this new approach over the last year or two. Not only is it quicker than more traditional methods, but it's also less expensive – it really is a win-win.
"This is a big job and there will be some disruption while the work is carried out. We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause, but you can rest assured that the end result will be worth it."
For the latest news on roadworks around the county, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks
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