Plans to improve safety at a notorious road junction have been put back another year – sparking an outcry from people desperate for action.

In March, Highways England said that, if funding was secured, construction of a roundabout at the A66 Broughton/Brigham junctions could take place in 2018/19. This has now been put back to 2019/20.

Broughton parish council chairman Mary Bradley said: “This is really bad news. The junction is so dangerous and traffic is increasing all the time along the A66. Every time you go out you dice with death.

“It’s made a significant difference since Sellafield workers moved to Whitehaven.

“You can sit at that junction for five minutes and people end up doing dangerous manouevres. The work is crucial.”

She said housing developments at Dearham also meant there was more traffic heading through the village.

A 20mph limit was introduced on Great Broughton Main Street earlier in the year.

Coun Bradley said highways representatives were due at the parish council’s next meeting.

“There seems to be a lack of understanding about our traffic problems and the implications all this building has on our infrastructure and villages.”

Little Broughton resident Mick Crombleholme, a campaigner for improvements since 2012, said: “Every time there’s a restructuring process this gets delayed another couple of years.

“The problem is it’s getting worse all the time as the road get busier with all the new houses. Sooner or later there will be another very nasty accident.

“I don’t think the highways authority is committed to the urgency of this junction.”

Allerdale councillor Nicky Cockburn, who lives in Great Broughton, recently approached Highways England for an update. Service delivery manager Philip Tyrrell wrote to her, saying contract arrangements for Cumbria and North Lancashire changed significantly as from April 1.

“That said we remain committed to deliver the Brigham/Broughton scheme, especially with the scheme having already been well developed through its feasibility stage,” he said

He added the outline programme is:

  • 2017/18: Finalise the initial design, submit the scheme for economic appraisal and, assuming the scheme generates a positive score, undertake a road safety audit.
  • 2018/19: Complete the detailed design. Undertake the necessary environmental and enabling works.
  • 2019/20: Construction.

More than 900 people attended drop-in sessions about plans to improve the busy junctions in 2014.

Coun Cockburn said: “I think people are frustrated that it’s not happening quicker because the consultation was extremely well attended and the feedback from Highways England was brilliant so we were hoping it would be pushed a little quicker.

“But at least we still have a plan. It’s not been cut back.”