A long-running campaign from residents for change at a notorious motorway junction has finally paid off.

The A684 from Sedbergh to Kendal, where it crosses the M6 at Junction37, has long been an accident blackspot, largely due to sat-nav systems diverting drivers off the motorway and across the A684.

Residents of local towns such as Sedbergh and Kendal have been expressing ever more urgent concerns over the lack of action by public bodies and officials, despite numerous crashes and near-misses.

The growing pressure seems to have paid off as a number of statements of co-operative action were today given on the subject.

A spokesman for National Highways said the following on the issue:

"We had a Route Inspector at Junction 37 on the M6 yesterday (12 January) and in 15 minutes he observed three occasions where manoeuvres were carried out safely, but where vehicles came up on the exit slip, crossed the A684 when it was safe to do so, and then went down the on-slip to rejoin the M6.

"The Route Inspector found that it appears that drivers are following the information on their sat-nav."

On the future plans for the junction the spokesman said:

"This is not the first time the sat-nav issue has reared its head, and even though it is a difficult situation that is not actively something we can control, we are not distancing ourselves from it, and we are actively speaking to sat-nav companies AA, RAC, Waze, Google and Tomtom"

A spokesman from Cumbria Police said: "We’ve been working with Highways regarding this matter for the past couple of days, as they are responsible for the motorway so are taking the lead in resolving this issue.

"Our roads policing officers have been prioritising the area because of this issue.

MP Tim Farron said: "Our understanding from Highways is the issue with Google is in the process of being resolved."

"I’m glad that National Highways say they are treating this a priority and are working with Google to urgently resolve this.

"People’s safety is absolutely critical so it’s not only imperative that the highway agencies look to make the slipway as safe as possible, but it remains more important than ever that we all drive carefully and don’t put lives in danger."

A spokesman from Google confirmed that they were looking into the matter, and, Cumbria Police then issued a later statement, saying:

"We have been told the issues with Google have now been resolved.

From checking the system myself, it appears to be working properly and directing traffic as it should be.

This should hopefully stop the issues of vehicles exiting the motorway at J37."

Counciillor Pat Bell, a long-standing campaigner for action at the junction, said "I'm relieved that things finally seem to be happening - I've had dozens if not hundreds of residents tell me their horror stories about that junction."