Campaigners calling for better safety measures at a fatal Pembrokeshire junction have said that recent road markings are a step in the right direction, but that more needs to be done.

Bright red tarmac areas have now been painted on the road at the Nash Fingerpost Junction, along with signage on the roads themselves reading ARAF SLOW as you approach the junction and on the main trunk road.

The South Wales Trunk Road Agency has also repainted all the road markings at the junction. Renewed calls for better safety measures at the junction came after the death of Ashley Rogers of Kilgetty following a collision at the junction on May 13 this year.

This was the third fatality at the junction in 12 years.

After Ashley’s death a petition calling for the introduction of comprehensive safety measures at the Fingerpost junction attracted more than 10,000 signatures in just over a month.

Calls were also made for Think Bike! signs to be erected there.

“We all know this is not the roundabout we so desperately need,” said safety campaigner and family friend of Yvette Yvette Weblin-Grimsley of the measures.

“But everyone I have spoken to so far feels that it is a step in the right direction, warning vehicle users to be cautious at the junction. The general consensus is anything is better than nothing and I am grateful that something has been done.”

She said that the campaigners were thankful that attention has at last been given to the ‘busy, confusing and frustrating’ junction.

“The need for a roundabout has most certainly not gone away,” she added.

Yvette is hoping that the number of signatures the petition gathered in such a short space of time will nudge a debate about the Fingerpost at the Senedd into this autumn.

“We hope by achieving this amount of signatures in such a short space of time the Senedd will see the strength of feeling regarding the need for a roundabout at this incredibly busy junction,” said Yvette.

“After all it is the main junction used by the power station traffic, the oil tankers for the refinery, the military traffic for Castlemartin Range and of course will be a much busier junction once the new visitor centre is completed in Pembroke.” Yvette said that she was grateful to the authorities and politicians that has spent hours in meetings with her discussing the junction.

She also thanked Phil McFadden of the Motorcycle Action Group for his invaluable video of the junction.

Yvette said that the video and road monitoring showed that there was confusion as to who has the right of way when coming from Pembroke Dock direction to cross the main trunk road to turn right towards Pembroke.

“Traffic coming from Pembroke Dock must give way to traffic coming from Pembroke direction once the main carriageway is clear,” she said.

Yvette added that she was hopeful that the Issue of Think Bike Look Twice signs would also be looked into, not only at the junction but throughout Wales.

The pain and devastation this has caused to all involved in that terrible accident on May 13 is beyond comprehension,” she said.

 

“I just hope something will be done to try to ensure this never happens again. “