MP Olivia Bailey demands safer slip roads on to A34 in West Berkshire

A campaign to make driving on to a major road that runs through West Berkshire safer for drivers is pressing ahead, writes Local Democracy Reporter James Aldridge.

The A34 runs the length of Berkshire between Oxford in the north and Winchester in the south.

The major road has junctions for Newbury, the M4 and the villages of East Ilsley and Beedon.

Although a useful route, the A34 slip roads for the Berkshire villages have been described as dangerous even for experienced drivers.

Olivia Bailey, the MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, who represents the area, surveyed residents about the issue and received more than 450 responses.

Of those, 96 per cent of respondents agreed that the slip roads were dangerous, and 91 per cent had personally experienced issues.

A resident called Barbora said: I think that both slip roads from East Ilsley to A34 are too dangerous. I don’t use them because they’re too short and I don’t feel safe there or seen by other cars. I drive to West Ilsley instead and join there.

Meanwhile, Pedro said: “It is not only the short length, it is the extreme low visibility (especially in dark hours). It becomes very difficult for experienced drivers, not to say to new drivers.”

Another neighbour, Nick, said: “I’m a confident driver who drives a lot (15k plus a year), and the Beedon junction going north is the scariest road I’ve ever used.

“There is no visibility so you have two choices; get your speed up to 60mph and hope there’s enough space or stop and risk being hit from behind and having to accelerate as fast as you can.

“I’ve seen so many near collisions there.”

Mrs Bailey met National Highways to demonstrate the problems at the junctions and discuss next steps.

National Highways has agreed to safety improvements in the short term and has recommended a full safety review of the A34 in the long term.

Following the meeting, she said: “I was delighted to go on this visit with National Highways, building on the momentum of my campaign after receiving an unprecedented number of survey responses from impacted residents and raising the issue in Parliament.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to illustrate first-hand the issues that are concerning my constituents, and discuss with the route manager how we can work together to address safety concerns.

“We had a constructive conversation, and I will be following up with the Department for Transport on the need for a full safety review and urgent investment to deliver both immediate improvements and more significant works as soon as possible.”

Mrs Bailey added that she is committed to continuing the campaign to its resolution.