Campaigners are claiming victory after work started to improve safety on one of the district’s most hazardous roads.

Residents and councillors are celebrating new safety improvements on the A658 Harrogate Road in Eccleshill as part of a £26,000 package.

In the past five years, there have been 42 reported collisions with injuries along the stretch of road between the Victoria Road roundabout and Greengates traffic lights.

Two of those collisions were fatal, 13 involved pedestrians and, of those, six were children.

Crossing the busy Harrogate Road is the only way people living on the nearby Thorpe Edge estate can get to Sainsbury’s and other shops on the other side of the road.

Simon D’Vali, who is the Council’s principal engineer for Shipley and Bradford East, said five new traffic islands were being installed not just to make it safer for pedestrians but also to “reinforce with drivers” that the area is well-used by people crossing.

Back in February the Bradford East Area Committee approved a reduction in the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

Vehicle-activated signs are also being placed along Harrogate Road, plus dropped kerbs near Chapel Walk to improve accessibility.

The work should be completed in about four months.

Mr D’Vali said: “As we have done previously, we aim to keep a close contact with the community to ensure we are listening and responding to their needs.”

Councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said until now Harrogate Road had been “the major divide” in Eccleshill.

He added: “We are delighted. We have fought long and hard for all this. It’s a lesson for residents that if they campaign and persist, they can get the results they want.”

  • Read the full story in Friday's T&A