Residents agree action is needed at busy '˜racecourse roundabout'

Frustrated motorists have backed calls for action to ease congestion along a busy road in Pontefract.

Earlier this month, Pontefract Racecourse’s managing director Norman Gundill said the A639 was “saturated”. And Coun David Jones, for Pontefract South said the road’s ‘racecourse roundabout’ had reached its limit, with traffic regularly backing up.

They warned that the route was “at capacity” and fear that with new developments planned in the area, congestion is only going to get worse. Many Express readers have agreed with their concerns.

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Paul Cartwright said: “The planning process between residential/commercial development needs to be more integrated, and it seems highways is the after-thought. Developers build, we wait for the negative impact on highways, then a scheme has to be devised to improve flows for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.”

And Neil Brown also wrote on Facebook: “Didn’t they think of this when they approved all the developments along this route?”

Vehicles used the road to access Park Road retail park, the M62, the racecourse, and New College. It is also used to get between Pontefract, Glass Houghton and Xscape. Wakefield Council said developments which could lead to a “significant increase in traffic” are assessed during the planning process. It said yellow hatch markings were being added to the roundabout to stop motorists blocking access.