Project Overview

Pole Lane is a long, steep, and mostly straight road which cuts through the town of Darwen near Blackburn. A report found that a majority of the more than 4000 motorists who used the lane each day were driving above the 30mph speed limit. The average recorded speed was 39mph, with some reaching speeds of more than 70mph.

The Challenge

  • Pole Lane is a long, steep, and mostly straight road which cuts through the town of Darwen near Blackburn
  • A report found that a majority of the more than 4000 motorists who used the lane each day were driving above the 30mph speed limit
  • The average recorded speed was 39mph, with some reaching speeds of more than 70mph
Pole Lane before chicane installation

The challenge: long straight road with excessive speeding putting residents at risk

Project Objectives

  1. Improve the safety of Pole Lane and adjoining roads through the installation of traffic calming chicanes
  2. Ensure cyclists are able to ride on Pole Lane without being obstructed by the chicanes
  3. Avoid disruption by installing traffic calming products which do not require the road to be closed
  4. Install surface-mounted traffic calming products which are low maintenance, impact resistant, and can be quickly and easily relocated to allow for road maintenance

Our Solution

  1. Install two sets of traffic islands with extension pieces to create a substantial traffic calming chicane
  2. Position the islands to create a chicane narrow enough for just a single vehicle to pass through
  3. Position the chicanes far enough from the pavement that cyclists are able to continue unimpeded
  4. The traffic islands are surface mounted making them quick to install, but provide a solid and impact-resistant solution
  5. Each traffic island chicane was installed in less than an hour without the need to close the road
Traffic island chicane on Pole Lane

Traffic island chicane installed on Pole Lane

Results & Impact

  • Post-installation surveys showed that the chicanes had successfully lowered the speed of motorists travelling on Pole Lane
  • The average speed dropped to 31mph - a reduction of 26%
  • As a result of the chicane on Pole Lane, the average speed on the neighbouring Sough Road and Marsh Hose Lane was reduced, with drivers staying at 29mph to 32mph
Completed chicane on Pole Lane

Completed traffic calming chicane on Pole Lane