Special glow-in-the-dark road studs installed on the A12 at a cost of £36,000 may have to be replaced after just one year.

The 1,222 solar-powered reflective studs were installed on the Witham bypass during major resurfacing works last year, to reduce accidents by improving drivers' night-time visibility.

But recently Highways Agency road inspectors noticed some of the studs had come loose and were lying in the road, causing danger to road users.

They are being replaced with traditional reflective road studs, popularly known as catseyes, while the cause of the problem is investigated with supplier Astucia (UK).

Sandy Callander, sales and marketing director for Astucia (UK), said: "There's nothing wrong with the product itself but it's clear a couple have come out of the road."

Published Thursday, September 30, 2004

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