A NEW £298,000 safety barrier on the Queensway underpass, in Southend centre, is set to be approved by the council in a bid to make the road safer.

The proposals have already been given the green light by the traffic and parking committee and will now be rubber stamped by the council at its meeting in December.

A new central reservation, with tougher barriers, will replace the existing 40-year-old barrier and the layout of the junction will be improved to tackle motorbike accidents.

The Bikeguard system barrier will be installed, which is a light steel beam that can be attached to safety barriers to make them safer when hit by bikers.

In his report to the committee, environment director Andrew Lewis said there had been a number of accidents in recent years in the underpass at Southchurch Road.

He added: “Over the past eight years, there have been 13 injury accidents in the Queensway underpass involving motorcycles on the northbound carriageway. Nine were classified as serious and four as slight. Six of the 13 were casualties who sustained injury by colliding with the existing barrier.”

Mr Lewis said improvements, including a skid-resistant surface, were installed four years ago as well as a speed camera, but since then there had been a further two accidents.

It was now planned to replace the existing barrier and install the Bikeguard system at the same time.

“To do this, it is necessary to widen the central reservation,” Mr Lewis said.

“Although these add to the costs of the scheme, the new arrangements will provide benefits over and above those for motorcycle safety as they will reduce risks of other accidents and reduce future maintenance costs.”

Mr Lewis said the scheme would be funded from Government money through the local transport plan allocation and would not come from the council’s budget.