Plans to improve the layout of a busy junction in and out of Tenby, which has been described as ‘lethal’, have been touted by the county council.

Pembrokeshire County Council has recently secured funding to improve the junction on the A4218/A478 Narberth Road, by remodelling a section of the road.

This is the second phase of a Welsh Government funded Road Safety Grant scheme and follows the recent introduction of the pedestrian controlled crossing and bus stop facility to the south of the junction.

A report from PCC’s senior traffic engineer, Ben Blake, came before members of Tenby Town Council at their meeting on Tuesday night, explaining that in developing a scheme, two layouts had been examined, with Option 1 - considering a mini roundabout; and Option 2 - looking to introduce a standard T junction.

Mr. Blake, who also submitted drawing plans of both options, said that the county council were looking to improve road and pedestrian safety at the junction by way of providing a more conventional and simplified layout to that currently found.

The scheme will also look to deliver improvements to public transport links and connectivity to facilities and services through provision and continuation of pedestrian routes in that area, whilst also addressing a number of areas of concern currently found with the existing junction.

“In determining which option to take forward, consideration has also been given to those factors which could potentially occur as a result of the new layout or simply remain in effect bringing into question the value of the scheme,” wrote Mr. Blake.

“These factors include traffic flow (potential for queuing), speed reduction benefits, turning movements and connectivity, all of which are affected in different ways under each scheme layout.

“Whilst it is not always possible to provide a solution to every factor identified due to issues such as site constraints, the benefits delivered must outweigh any negative impact resulting from the scheme,” he continued.

Mr. Blake explained that the option of a mini roundabout addressed the main concerns raised, which was the principal aim of the revised layout, but there was a question mark over whether queuing would occur on the southern arm (from Maudlins) during peak seasonal fluctuations based on analysis carried out using predicted future growth traffic figures.

In terms of Option 2, Mr. Blake said that the benefits were marginal and the layout not too dissimilar to that currently found.

“Traffic speed into Narberth Road towards the Walled Town would be addressed by removal of the slip lane, however, the revised layout is unlikely to have an impact on north/south bound speeds,” he explained, stating that the preferred scheme was the introduction of a mini roundabout, which it was considered was the option that delivered the most benefits.

Invited to speak on the matter at the meeting, County Clr. Michael Williams, who represents the north ward of Tenby, said that this was an issue that they had been attempting to resolve in the town for 20 years.

“At last there is a proposal on the table, it’s not perfect, but nobody has been able to come up with a better scheme to sort out this issue,” he remarked.

“Something has to be done there, as it is dangerous. There have been a number of accidents in that area down the years, but they are not recorded unless there is personal injury involved, but let me tell you, exiting from certain areas along that road and junction is lethal for motorists.

“This is a comprehensive report from Mr. Blake and traffic engineers have looked long and hard at this issue and cannot see a better scheme.

“The funding finances have to be spent in this calendar year, and this could be the last chance we have to find a solution, ”continued Clr. Williams, explaining that that he had spoken to several residents in that area recently on the proposals and would pass their feedback on to Mr. Blake.

The Mayor, Clr. Laurence Blackhall, said that now the information was in the public domain, he invited residents of the area to come forward with their observations and feedback on the proposals, and either approach Clr. Williams or the town council.

“Essentially the decision is with PCC on how they proceed with this, but it would be helpful to get feedback from residents on the matter ASAP, as I’m conscious of the tight timescale on the resources to do something in improving the road layout in that area,” said Clr. Blackhall.

It is envisaged that any works would take approximately 16 weeks to complete, commencing early November and finishing late February/March, 2017.