Concerns have been raised that heavy goods vehicles are still thundering down the old A1073 through Eye Green to Crowland, rather than using the new A16 which opened on Sunday.
Peterborough City Council’s traffic monitors counted 412 lorries using the road on Monday despite the new 7.5-tonne weight limit imposed since the new road opened, although this was down from 1,875 lorries recorded on the previous Monday before the A16 had opened.
Drivers using out-of-date satellite navigation devices is a reason being put forward by the council’s transport planning manager Mark Speed.
He said: “As part of the new scheme there is a ban on HGVs in excess of 7.5 tonnes travelling through Eye Green.
“This is in place along the stretch of the A1073 between the roundabout immediately to the south of Crowland, right through to the roundabout that provides access to the services immediately north of the A47. This ban is clearly signposted on each of the approaches to the A1073.
“It is probable that some HGV drivers still using the A1073 through Eye Green are being directed by sat navs, however, it is ultimately the driver who is responsible for their route choice.
“It is likely the number of violations will reduce further as drivers become familiar with the new route. A request to the neighbourhood police team to carry out some enforcement in this area has also been made.”
But after suffering a 14-month delay in the opening of the new bypass due to an unstable embankment at Car Dyke Bridge, Eye and Thorney ward councillor Ray Dobbs, who lives in Eye Green, said residents are angry to still see lorries passing through their village and called for the police to enforce the new weight restriction.
He said: “I do not think the message has got through at all. I know two or three residents have phoned up haulage contractors to say ‘do you know your drivers are still using this road?’.
“I think we have lost enough life on that road for them to say no more. There have been so many accidents down there with HGVs it’s unbelievable. They should say you are not going on there, we have a purpose-built road - go on there and use it.”
Lincolnshire County Council led the project to build the new road and senior project leader Lee Rowley said sat nav providers had been made aware of the new route so they could update their systems.
He added: “Compared to the old road, the new road is safer and has better journey times, so it makes sense to use this.”
An AA spokesman added this problem has arisen in other areas when a new road opens, but the onus should be on haulage firms to update their sat navs.
He said: “At the end of the day sat navs need to be updated and even though this can mean extra costs for haulage firms. I would have thought that if it means they can use a route where there are fewer dangers then it would be better.
“Not only this, but a new road is likely to bring improved journey times and on that basis haulage firms should update their sat nav systems as soon as possible.”
