By Karen Evans and Paul Crute

Last updated at 07:05, Friday, 05 February 2010

COCKERMOUTH residents are calling for temporary traffic lights to be installed and the town’s bridges to be reopened to ease traffic problems.

Gote Bridge, which was damaged in the floods, and Cocker Bridge, which was undamaged, are closed to traffic to help flood recovery on Main Street.

But the closure has turned Kirkgate into the main route across town and residents fear there will be a serious accident if action is not taken soon.

Resident Gerald Davies said: “Somebody will probably be killed before anything is done. There have been times this week when I’ve almost been killed. If the bridges were reopened we would not have this problem and the whole town would be revived. The council should realise every day is important.

“Something like temporary traffic lights are needed to try to combat the situation.”

Robert Armstrong, 25, said: “We really need the bridges to reopen but until then something like temporary traffic lights would definitely be an option to slow down traffic and make it safer to cross the road.

“It gets really bad from about 5pm until 7pm.

“I’ve witnessed people driving on to the pavement because they are trying to avoid traffic coming towards them.

“The other day an ambulance took about five minutes to get from one end to the other.”

Carey Blanden, who has lived on Kirkgate for 14 years, said this was the worst she had ever seen the traffic.

“The drivers seem to be angry, always rushing through, and who can blame them but they need to start having some courtesy for the people who live here,” she said.

“Because the bridges have been closed Kirkgate has become a main route for traffic but the road is not being treated like a main route by the council.”

Trevor Longshaw said: “I wish the bridges would reopen because it is far too dangerous having this amount of traffic on the road.

“I am sure a measure such as reducing the speed limit would help things.”

His wife Kris said: “If drivers had a bit more patience and courtesy the problem would maybe not be as bad.

“The two bridges really need to be reopened for things to go back to normal.”

Jonty Chippendale, chairman of Cockermouth and District of Trade, added that Market Place businesses were being hit hard by the closure of Cocker Bridge.

“They need to make sure they take into account the congestion that is being caused against the economic damage it is doing to businesses,” he said.

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: “Gote and Cocker bridges remain closed for traffic management reasons while Main Street is still a flood recovery site.

“If they were reopened to vehicles now while there is still a major clean-up operation and rebuild taking place it could cause problems with traffic interfering with the flood recovery and vice versa.

“While we understand and appreciate people’s concerns, the flood recovery operation in Main Street requires the maximum amount of available space to ensure it is completed to allow Cockermouth to get back to normality as quickly and effectively as possible.

“Once the recovery reaches a stage where it won’t be hindered by traffic, Main Street and the two bridges will be re-opened.”

Cockermouth police are aware of the traffic problems on Kirkgate and will be meeting the county council early next week to see if there is anything they can do to ease the problems.

First published at 19:24, Thursday, 04 February 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk