Safety works for "terrifying" A505 near Leighton Buzzard set to go ahead this year

Eight sites have been selected for the improvements on the stretch of road linking Dunstable to Bletchley, dubbed “terrifying” by campaigners.

Dangerous overtaking, flooding issues on the bypass after heavy rain and the route being used as a drag racing circuit have been among the complaints expressed.

The road is just over six miles long. It starts from Watling Road at Houghton Regis, leading west towards Leighton Buzzard to the A4146/A418 Wing Road junction.

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesman explained: “After a review of the accidents along the A505, a scheme of signing and lining improvements is being developed currently to address road safety.

“We’ve completed outline design and are now moving to the detailed blueprint stage, with the intention of construction taking place during the next financial year, budgets allowing.

“Further information on the project detail and the improvement works stage will be available later in the year.”

A petition was presented to a traffic management meeting in January 2023, where data analysed by previous CBC highways contractor Ringway Jacobs was discussed.

It followed a petition with almost 3,700 signatures, which appeared online after a fatality along a section of the road. Efforts to trace the organiser proved unsuccessful, so Leighton-Linslade town councillors decided to submit their own version to the local authority.

There were about 50 personal injury accidents along this route from April 2016 to March 2022.

The CBC Liberal Democrat group wrote in a social media post: “We’ve been backing the calls of local residents for months about the desperate need to improve safety on the A505.

“We’ve been raising the issue publicly and privately with CBC officers and executive members, and we’re delighted to see action being taken.

“They’ve identified eight sites where they believe improvements can be made along this stretch of the road. Detailed design work will be completed during the next few months.

“It’s anticipated the construction stage will go ahead between July and September. This road has been far too dangerous for far too long.”

Independent Aspley and Woburn councillor John Baker said: “We aim to deliver this project as part of the council’s budget for 2025/26, which is currently out for consultation.

“I hope colleagues will support it enthusiastically in February. It’s another example of how the council’s Independent administration listens carefully to the views of colleagues and aspires to deliver improvements for residents across all parts of Central Bedfordshire.

“I’m delighted to bring forward this scheme and I thank Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors for bringing the case for intervention to my attention.”

Executive member for finance and highways councillor Baker told a full council meeting in November: “Officers have started to liaise with Milestone Infrastructure to consider solutions, but anything that happens is dependent on the capital programme.

“The kind of thinking is hatching to reduce the temptation of it appearing like a three-lane road, because of the carriageway widths. There are various ideas being thought out to narrow the lanes in the area where the accidents have happened.”