Highways team hail "Britain's toughest bollard"

Gateshead Council's Highways Engineering Team believe they have found a contender for the “Toughest Bollard in Britain”.

The Night Owl bollard from Leafield Environmental is situated at a former accident black spot near Birtley.

It has been nudged, whacked or run over virtually every day for over 12 months and is still standing and performing its duty.

The ‘T’ junction, situated on a virtually blind bend in the road, was notorious for collisions as vehicles ‘cut the corner’ despite the give way warning signs and associated road markings.

In an attempt to prevent this, the council constructed an island complete with two Night Owl keep-left, bounce-back bollards which have dramatically reduced accidents.

The corner remains ‘tight’ and although drivers are now approaching it with more care, many larger vehicles still cut the corner and hit the Night Owl bollard nearest to the junction.

Ian McCran of Gateshead Council said: “The scheme has been a great success in reducing collisions.

"And it has proven to us the inherent, outstanding durability of Leafield’s Night Owl sign bollard; so much so that it is now Gateshead’s current preferred choice for keep left self-righting bollards.”