Worried Halifax residents assured lorry limit is coming for rat run …

Calderdale Council ^[1] said late last year that a three tonnes (3T) restriction would be put in place at Jumples Crag in Mixenden.

But residents still remain concerned for their safety, saying an HGV ^[2] crashed on the narrow, steep road only last month.

For several years, residents have been campaigning for an end to heavy goods vehicles using the route to avoid traffic calming measures on nearby major roads.

Councillor Jenny Lynn from Calderdale Council

They had been told measures would be in place by spring but while work has been carried out on another nearby junction, they say wagons have not been deterred.

The council says the works on the other junction were part of a what is a lengthy process to impose the weight restriction on Jumples Crag and the limit will happen.

Resident Clare Simeunovich said the 3T limit was due in place in March but alleges Calderdale Council used some of these resources for a junction change at nearby Straight Lane/Raw Lane.

“Highways officers told residents the junction change 340m away, up the steep hill, would deter HGV and throttle down speeds,” she said.

“This calculation has spectacularly failed.”

The council’s cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said the weight restriction is coming but the legal process is a lengthy one.

The junction work completed was extra to that and would help the situation when everything is in place, she said.

“We are introducing a ‘maximum 3.5 tonne except for access’ restriction to stop larger vehicles passing through Jumples Crag,” she said.

But, said Coun Lynn (Lab, Park): “To bring in this new weight restriction, we first had to go through a lengthy statutory process.

“This is now complete, and we are now designing the signs that are needed to implement the traffic order. This includes diversion signage for HGVs to direct them away from Jumples Crag.

“Once the designs are complete, the signs will be made and installed on and around the site.

“We have also constructed a junction alteration at Raw Lane to help improve the issue.”

References

^{^} Calderdale Council (www.halifaxcourier.co.uk)
^{^} HGV (www.halifaxcourier.co.uk)