Plans to improve pedestrian safety at Maumbury Cross junction could be at least two years away

Dorchester town councillors are awaiting a briefing on the county council proposals for the junction together with other road improvement works in the town.

But now a DCC statement suggests that it could be a long time before anything happens.

One of the county council’s team of communications officers said: “The project is guided by a member-led working group which comprises councillors from DCC, WDDC and Dorchester Town Council, as well as relevant highways, planning and environmental council officers as required.

“At the moment the project team is looking at a design to improve the pedestrian environment at the Maumbury junction. It is hoped the design will be finalised this financial year with a view to carrying out work in the next financial year.”

But even this 2019-20 completion may be affected by the new Dorset Unitary Council which comes into being in April 2019 with no obligation to continue projects started by Dorset County Council or other authorities.

The junction currently has only one pedestrian crossing area – on the rail bridge at Weymouth Avenue. Pedestrians coming from the Victoria Park area, or Castle Park ,have to cross at least one other busy road, assuming they have used the crossing. One of the junctions, at Maumbury Road nearest the town market, has limited visibility as it rounds the corner.

The busy roads are crossed by hundreds of school children making their way to schools in the east and the west of the town – as well as shoppers and office and shop workers who park their cars in residential roads in the area.

Dorset County Council had originally proposed what they described as a ‘gyratory system’ at the junction – but this was dropped along the the majority of the rest of the town centre traffic scheme after residents complained that it would divert traffic away from businesses in High West and High East streets at the expense of residential roads.