ALDERLEY Edge Bypass is set to close overnight next month to allow road safety measures to be carried out.

The work will include the addition of hatched hazard centreline markings on the A34 bypass to increase the distance between opposing lanes of traffic.

A head-on crash on the bypass in November 2018 between a Toyota Yaris and a minibus on a bend resulted in the deaths of Liyakat Sidat, 47, his wife Salma, 41, and his 14-year-old daughter Hajra – all in the car.

Two others in the car, a nine-year-old girl and a 19-year-old girl, also suffered serious injuries, while several casualties in the minibus were treated in hospital for their injuries.

The family had been travelling to their Old Trafford home from Leicester when Mr Sidat attempted to overtake two cars.

At an inquest in October into the deaths coroner Jean Harkin filed a prevention of future deaths report, which was sent to Cheshire East Council, in a bid to persuade highways bosses to review road safety measures for the route.

In the coroner’s view, the bypass presented 'a danger to life', with the section in question having no continuous white line to prevent overtaking.

She added: “It is dangerous to overtake on that stretch of road. Witness evidence referred to how dark it was and lives are at risk if overtaking is allowed to continue there.”

Mrs Harkin also noted that other coroners had previously issued similar reports without any remedial action being taken by Cheshire East Council, the highway authority.

In November 2017 an 85-year-old driver and his 82-year-old passenger died in a head-on crash on the same road, and in September 2013 an 11-year-old boy died in similar circumstances.

Cheshire East Council deputy leader, Councillor Craig Browne, said: “Cheshire East highways will carry out new road safety management measures, including the addition of hatched hazard centreline markings, on the Alderley Edge Bypass next month [March].

“This will give a visual carriageway narrowing effect and put greater distance between the traffic travelling in both directions and may help heighten driver awareness, when considering overtaking manoeuvres.

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“The works are planned to be carried out during a number of overnight closures in March. The road closures will be to motorised traffic only, with pedestrians and cyclist access maintained on the combined foot and cycle ways at all times.

“Details of traffic management measures during the works will be announced at a later date.”