A LACK of serious accidents has caused a dual carriageway gap to remain open for the past five years, highways chiefs said today.The gap at Trinity Avenue – where a Felixstowe pensioner was killed this week when his car was involved in a crash with a lorry – was to have been closed in 1998 and new plans to shut it were put forward in 2002.

A LACK of serious accidents has caused a dual carriageway gap to remain open for the past five years, highways chiefs said today.

The gap at Trinity Avenue – where a Felixstowe pensioner was killed this week when his car was involved in a crash with a lorry – was to have been closed in 1998 and new plans to shut it were put forward in 2002.

Both proposals generated objections and were abandoned. Now highways chiefs do not believe closing the gap is the answer to safety problems in the area.

Rod Sore, Suffolk County Council traffic and safety engineer, said: "The issue of the gap in Trinity Avenue is one that we have been looking at for a few years but it has not been a site where we have seen many accidents and other sites with more serious accident problems have taken priority.

"We will be investigating the cause of this week's accident with the police and will take any necessary action.

"We have to take account people's points of view in any scheme we put forward, which is why we have not progressed the idea of closing the gap. We also feel that this would not necessarily be the best way of solving the problem.

"We hope we can now work towards resolving this issue in the near future by finding a safe and suitable solution."

Terrence Warham, 80, of Wolsey Gardens, Felixstowe, died when his grey J-reg Rover 416 was in collision with a Scania articulated lorry tractor unit, which was overtaking another lorry slowing down to enter the filling station.

It is understood he was making an illegal manoeuvre at the time pulling out of Anzani Avenue – a one-way street in the opposite direction – after leaving the BP petrol station via its entrance, where there are "no exit" signs.

But the manoeuvre is one carried out by dozens of drivers every day, along with the equally dangerous U-turns by lorry and car drivers coming out of the filling station exit and wanting to turn back to the port.

These issues are being analysed by the traffic engineers, who are also trying to address problems with speed in Trinity Avenue.

The road is a dual carriageway but has a 30mph limit. Plans have been put forward to raise it to 40mph.

There is a further problem where the slip road from Cavendish Park joins it outside Anzani House. Trinity College, Cambridge, previously offered to pay for traffic lights here when its Trinity 2000 Clickett Hill business park takes off.

Petrol station owners BP have offered to pay towards safety improvements outside its premises to enable the gap to remain open but used safely.

n What do you think is the answer to Trinity Avenue's problems? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 309 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk