ROADWORKS to install new £70,000 crossings at a busy junction in Worcester will finish today almost one year on from when a city schoolgirl was knocked down by a car near there.

McAyla Johnston and her family are overjoyed that children and adults will now be able to safely cross London Road, Wyld’s Lane and Sebright Avenue.

It is a far cry from when the 12-year-old Nunnery Wood High School pupil was hit by a car as she tried to make her way across London Road to the Tesco Express store on Sunday, September 7.

The accident left McAyla in a critical condition. Although she has made a miraculous recovery since, she still suffers with symptoms related to the brain injury she suffered, such as memory loss.

Her dad David Lamb, of Foxwell Street, off London Road, said: “McAyla thinks the crossing is great. She will use it. She feels more confident and I will feel more confident in letting her go to the shops on her own. I’m sure a lot of other people in the area will feel the same.

“McAyla still struggles and she’s going to have to live with it for the rest of her life, as will many other people, but I think some benefit has come out of it and it’s not just a benefit for me and McAyla but for a lot of other people. Every time I drive down there it will remind me and a lot of other people about what happened.”

The installation of the new crossings, including resurfacing work, started at the beginning of the summer holidays. During that time a number of incidents in which the temporary traffic lights have broken down have caused chaos for mot-orists but Mr Lamb said he thought all of the disruption had been worth it.

He said: “It’s something that has been needed for a long time. I know the schoolchildren and parents are going to use it. Hopefully we won’t have any more issues.”

Mr Lamb praised everyone who has helped to get the crossings installed and said he and McAyla will use it on Monday – the first anniversary of the accident.

He said: “At the same time last year that would have been the last thing on my mind. I didn’t think I’d ever have that chance to do anything with McAyla again.”

Councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member in charge of the county’s roads, said: “We have spent a lot of money on this but I think it’s worth it.

“It has been a horrendous task to get it completed and we do understand the inconvenience this has caused to local traders but we had to do this work, we had to make it safer for everybody.”