Lights lead to chaos at island work
Monday 24th August 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Motorists in the Black Country were today caught up in half-a-mile tailbacks as temporary lights were installed near Burnt Tree Island in the latest phase of a £12.3 million roadwork scheme.
Workmen installed the two-way temporary traffic lights for five days on the A461 Burnt Tree Road on the Dudley/Sandwell border.
Dudley Council said the lights were due to be switched on at 10am today but were already in operation as workers started commuting from 8.30am.
Traffic quickly started to build up along the busy route into Dudley town centre. Many lorries and people heading to work were stuck in jams during the rush hour traffic.
The scheme to overhaul the island, which could last for 21 months, has sparked fury from motorists who say it has been badly managed.
Residents living on Kates Hill estate are also in uproar complaining about access to their homes and traders have called for the work to be carried out at night.
However some have welcomed the project and say the work is long overdue.
Mark Leader, 42, of Dudley, said “I think it’s about time the island was changed, it has been a real pain trying to get around it.”
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We may have to put up with some disruption whilst the changes are being made but it will be well worth it in the end. So, come on everyone, peckers up and don’t start moaning…..
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Well Mr Leader if temporary light are causing problems now, how’s full time light going to improve matters?
This juction needs a flyover/underpass & until it get’s one Burtntree will be a bottleneck.
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Martacus Red – what did I say – already you have started to moan – calm, breathe, calm.
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lulu
I know, I am now calm & breathing normally
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All of this temporary work is a waste of taxpayers money. Guaranteed it will not improve once the work is completed.
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Martacus Red – Well done – take care.
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I pass through Walsall’s arboretum junction twice a day at rush hour: In my opinion, removing the traffic island and installing traffic lights has not made the journey any easier and at certain times of the day there are now traffic jams when there weren’t any previously: Maybe the situation will be the same with the Dudley junction?
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Can somebody tell me why the work is being done? I use this island every day, during rush hour. And I cant see what the problem is. If they cut down the trees in the middle so people could actually see what was coming round then surely it would save millions and millions!!!
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Dudley again! I remember the glee from a Dudley engineer when he foresaw the problems with the central Dudley roads revamp. Roadwise Dudley is a mess. This is a big project, what happened to the planning?
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I think the timing of these road works is discusting. People trying to get to work on time is paramount in this current ecconomic crisis. Also this will affect all surrounding shopping/entertainment complexes ie Merryhill, Dudley zoo, Showcase cinema etc etc .What a nightmare
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I drive past burnt tree twice everyday, to and from work. On each occasion the workers are just standing around scratching their builders backsides, no doubt waiting for the next available excuse for a break. If they actually put an honest days work in they could be finished in a fraction of the time.
USELESS!
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Paul – when do you suggest is a good time to do these improvements?
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