Car horns constantly sounding at 'confusing' junction

A woman living near a busy A-road junction believes it is confusing with car horns "constantly going off" as a petition calling for urgent action goes before a council.

More than 600 people have signed the petition - being discussed at Cambridgeshire County Council on Tuesday - for an upgrade to the Humphries Way junction on the A10 at Milton.

It states that in 2024 there were three serious collisions at the junction - in a 50mph (80km/h) zone - and that "residents should not have to wait for a fatality before action is taken".

Local resident Alison Holmes, 27, called for the rights of way to be clearer, along with potentially lowering the speed limit.

Alex Beckett, the Liberal Democrat chair of the council's highways and transport committee, said: "We know how concerned people in Milton and [nearby] Landbeach are about the junction and absolutely share their concerns.

"We're clear that we want to see improvements made to the junction as soon as possible so that local residents are able to feel much safer both when driving and as pedestrians or cyclists."

There are give way signs at the junction, which also has a waiting point for cars crossing the A10.

"It feels like there's constantly car horns going off, particularly during rush hour, it gets very busy," Holmes said.

"For me personally, there's a give way in the middle of the road and I think depending on where you're coming from it can be quite confusing sometimes who goes when where."

She added it was "really difficult to get out of it sometimes" while driving.

Council papers said about £600,000 combined for the junction upgrade was expected to come from a nearby developer and the Cambridge Research Park.

But the costs have risen to upwards of £1.2m after investigations found gas pipes at the site.

David May, who has lived near the junction for almost 30 years, said: "We've seen lots of incidents over those years... it's a pretty terrible junction.

"With the way it's set up, the priority is not correct so there's confusion when you're turning right into Humphries Way and the cars don't know which has got priority.

"There's often people trying to get across and there's cars beeping their horns."

The BBC has previously reported on a crash at the junction which left a motorcyclist in hospital for six weeks in 2021.

The petition, started by Elizabeth McWilliams, chair of Landbeach Parish Council, said: "The longer we delay, the higher the risk of yet another life-altering collision."

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