A18 road safety funding after crash deaths

Five members of the Cockburn family, who were travelling to a dance competition in Skegness, died in a crash on the A18

A £2.8m grant has been awarded by the government to improve safety after the deaths of five members of a family.

The money, from the Department for Transport, will see road widening and speed reduction measures brought in on the A18 near Grimsby.

Angela and David Cockburn, their two daughters and granddaughter, died in a crash with a lorry on the road in 2013.

Following an inquest into their deaths, a coroner wrote a report suggesting how to stop future fatalities on the A18.

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Mr and Mrs Cockburn, 48 and 49, their daughters Carley Ann, 21, Bethany, 18, and Bethany's one-year-old daughter, Lacie, died in the crash in April.

The family, from County Durham, were travelling to Skegness when the head-on collision took place.

Road improvements to the A18 were drawn up following the inquest into the 2013 deaths

The funding follows a joint bid by North East Lincolnshire Council and Lincolnshire County Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Planned safety improvements include:

• Widening of the carriageway between the Laceby roundabout and the A18/Waltham Road junction

• Upgrade of the A18/Waltham Road junction

• Reduction of the speed limit to 50mph

• Localised traffic sign upgrades, road markings and surfacing works

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways at the county council, said: "These works are a result of this section of road being identified as an accident cluster site.

"When complete, these improvements will make travelling the A18 safer for all road users and will significantly reduce the number of collisions both here and in North East Lincolnshire."