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STRAIGHT TALK: Let’s take our time to cut out traffic snarl-ups
FEW topics get people as hot under the collar as traffic problems – and Spalding has its fair share.
The second closure of part of Woolram Wygate has stoked widespread anger and our letter writers and online readers have had plenty to say about a suggestion that Swan Street’s junction with Station Approach should be closed permanently.
I’ve said before in this column that at the very least I want to see the traffic lights in Station Approach synchronised better to improve the flow of vehicles. It is a main road (A151) and traffic flow is badly interrupted by lights which only allow a handful of vehicles through.
I’m firmly in the camp of people who thought traffic flowed better while Swan Street was shut last year.
Now I think we need to take our time to get it right, what with Holland Market soon to be undergo a massive redevelopment. Let’s have every idea explored and rule nothing out – so we get it right for the long haul.
Talking of long hauls, a one-mile car journey along Winsover Road to work on Tuesday morning (I normally cycle) took 25 minutes. It was horrendous, frustrating and unacceptable.
What about switching off all the traffic lights (not the pedestrian crossing) and trialling a roundabout at the junction of Station Approach and Winsover Road?
And I like the suggestion of making Swan Street one way (and maybe only for use by buses?). That might work well with the bus station moved there.
That option wouldn’t go down well with one of today’s letter writers, Steve Barber (on page 6), who drives from Bourne Road to Camel Gate (Springfields) every weekday – and uses Swan Street, New Road, Westlode Street and Albion Street.
Even during Swan Street’s partial closure he would drive up Winfrey Avenue (by the football ground) to rejoin it instead of going on to Pinchbeck Road.
I was astounded and, as I know Steve, I rang him to ask why. He cited tailbacks at Pinchbeck’s Road junction with West Elloe Avenue. And he avoids another route via Hawthorn Bank, Cowbit Road, Love Lane and Halmergate because of school run traffic mayhem.
How many other drivers are heading right through town to avoid these snarl-ups? Isn’t this exactly what we should be trying to discourage?
That’s why debate – and action – is needed. Not urgently, but correctly.
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Weather for Spalding
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 9 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 37 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: South west
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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fenlander
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:11 PMThe right turn onto West Elloe is another of those fake jams that was created when the highways people changed the priorities. Put the lights back to how they used to be and problem solved. Either that or just put a roundabout in - there's enough room for it. The traffic lights outside the swimming pool entrance by Kings Road can be done away with too, all that's needed there are some proper pedestrian crossings. How about running a new road from Sainsburys roundabout alongside the railway line, turning right to join up with West Elloe Avenue?
douglasdickens
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 03:54 PMI hope everone in Spalding considers and contributes to this. It is the major problem to the town's future. It is not just the road traffic lights that are not coordinated Network rail have a facility to trigger changes to sequences when level crossings are closed to road traffic. Apparantly this was installed at Winsover Road crossing when the Aldi store opened but was never linked up. I asked Network rail to do this at the Pinchbeck Road lights as part of the junction improvement but they did not comment. We know the Freight line is coming and the crossings will be closed to the level of gridlock, we need a radical solution and every one should think about it and contribute.
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