NEW traffic safety measures to be implemented on the East Lancashire Road at its junction with Carr Mill Road have been given a guarded welcome by the father of a teenager who was killed while crossing the road.

St Helens Council has been campaigning to make the junction safer since 1994. After carrying out a detailed Accident Investigation and Prevention Study and traffic count, the council contacted the Highways Agency, which is responsible for the road, with a recommendation that a new traffic light filter system should be installed at the junction.

These proposals were approved and a recent assessment by road network agents, Lancashire Engineering Services (LANTRA) has given the go-ahead for the new measures to be started as soon as possible this year.

Councillor Terry Hanley, said: "I welcome this decision and recognise the significant efforts of the council, over a number of years, in achieving this breakthrough."

Peter Byrnes, of Penryn Avenue, Laffak, whose 19-year-old son, Brian was killed just days before his 20th birthday in 1998, while crossing Carr Mill Road at the East Lancs junction, welcomed the news but felt more could have been done and sooner.

He told the Star: "New safety measures are certainly not before time. When the inquest into Brian's death was held, police recommended that a pedestrian phase filter crossing should be installed on both sides of Carr Mill Road. Poor visibility is also a high factor in the number of accidents and more lighting should also be installed on the junction. I just hope that the new measures are put in as soon as possible to prevent other accidents."