A raft of measures designed to improve safety and traffic flow at the re-designed Shiptonthorpe roundabout are to be introduced in the coming months.

New signage, road markings and other changes are to be introduced following months of pressure from local councillors and residents, who say the roundabout has become a potential danger spot for motorists and pedestrians alike.

Confirmation of the changes was welcomed by Wolds Weighton Ward councillor, Mike Stathers (Independent), following a meeting with senior road safety officers and engineers from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and representatives of Shiptonthorpe and Hayton and Burnby Parish Councils.

Cllr Stathers, who has led the calls for improvements to the roundabout since the layout was changed two years ago, said he was grateful that the officers had listened to local opinion and had agreed to take appropriate action.

The proposed measures, which are likely to be completed before the summer, include the installation of a new speed limit flashing sign at the western entrance to Shiptonthorpe, additional ‘merge in’ markings on the two-lane exit from the roundabout, changes to signage on the Market Weighton approach, a reinforced verge along the service road and a physical barrier at the end of the service road to prevent vehicles attempting to illegally join the A1079.

Cllr Stathers said: “This is very welcome news and comes after officers at ERYC funded a week-long camera survey of vehicle movement and driver behaviour during November. As one officer said ‘the results were astonishing and confirmed what local councillors and residents had been reporting’.

“In recent months, there have been numerous side-to-side collisions mostly involving vehicles leaving the roundabout on the two-lane approach to Shiptonthorpe. Many others have been mis-directed by out-of-date Satnav systems but it’s not simply the roundabout itself that is causing these problems. Clearly, many issues are caused by driver error but the new signage will hopefully help all motorists to negotiate the roundabout safely.”

Officers and local councillors have agreed to meet again once the changes have been implemented.