Safety schemes for A53 villagers

A safety project has been completed to install lights, signs and road markings in a historic Staffordshire village.

It includes a new pedestrian crossing at Whitmore on the A53, running from Shropshire to Newcastle-Under-Lyme.

Staffordshire Highways has invested £100,000 on the scheme including an electronic signal controlled pedestrian crossing, near the Mainwaring Arms.

And the speed limit in the village is falling from 50mph to 40mph to improve the accident record.

'Beautiful wooded crossroads'

Engineers said great effort has been put in to make the improvements fit in with the historic village environment in a conservation area.

Special conservation kerbs have been put in and the new pedestrian guardrails were painted black.

County councillor John Wakefield said: "The beautiful wooded crossroads in this ancient village has provided a difficult set of circumstances.

"The combination of deeply wooded banks, corner hugging ancient buildings and obscured sight lines at the tight crossroads, all add to the problem."

Publican and road safety campaigner James Forget said: "Slowing the traffic down at this key junction will really improve the village environment for visitors and villagers alike."