‘Dangerous’ island may be remodelled
Monday 23rd November 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
One of Wolverhampton city centre’s busiest roundabouts could be widened and extra lanes created as part of congestion-busting plans unveiled today.
Roads around the “dangerous” Penn Road island, which is controlled by traffic lights, are regularly clogged up with queuing traffic during rush hour. And in a bid to tackle the traffic problems, highways bosses have now drawn up plans to remodel the island. The proposals include creating additional lanes on the inside and the outside of the roundabout.
The plans will have to go before a panel of councillors to be approved before the scheme can become a reality.
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Gurdip Thandi said: “Penn Road Island currently experiences significant traffic congestion problems and delays.
“Significant rush hour queues are experienced by drivers and this is likely to increase with major city centre developments such as Summer Row and Raglan Street.
“But we have now developed a proposal that will be put to members that is designed to alleviate these problems.
“The planned scheme will involve widening the roundabout and creating additional lanes on both the inside and outside of the roundabout.
“But the scheme is still a proposal at this stage and will be subject to member approval.”
The latest proposals have been announced months after workers moved in to widen the carriageway at Ring Road St John’s, which leads to the island.
Penn Councillor Paddy Bradley said she is pleased measures were being taken to deal with the problems at the island, which she has branded as “dangerous”.
“There are always problems,” she added.
“If you come round on the inside lane and people cut up up, then you are taking your life into your own hands.”
The work at St John’s, costing around £200,000, was carried out following the death of the ring road tramp Josef Stawinoga, who was better known as Fred.
The 86-year-old Pole lived for more than 30 years in a tent on a central grassed reservation in the road.
The Penn Road island has been the scene of several accidents that quickly caused gridlock in the city.
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Err the Penn Road island??? It isn’t that bad. Five Ways island on the Stafford Road by Wickes is worse….its a speedy free for all sometimes, especially with drivers coming out of Waterloo Road who car for no-one but themselves.
And Bilston Street Island is bad….poor lane guidance and control. Penn Road Island is comparatively safe compared to these too.
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get rid of the skate park underneath and use this to reiieve some of the traffic above, their must be a way.
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Nope, Penn Road is bad, Rob. Watch closely when you next go round it – it grows to three lanes, then shrinks to two, before splitting into four, meaning people have no idea where they go. This causes the buses leaving the town centre to regular cut in on traffic, nervous drivers have to swerve from one side to the other; it needs to have the same number of lanes all round to make it safe.
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Has the island ever bitten anyone? Stamped on their toes? No?
Well, perhaps the island is not actually ‘dangerous’ itself, it’s more a problem with the people in the metal boxes going round it that are ‘dangerous’.
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very true Rob H.
I do think that the lane marking on the Penn Rd island are dangerous for people unfamiliar with the road though.
I think the money would be better spent putting lane guidance on all of the large roundabouts. It seems so many people do not know how to use a roundabout, or are too scared to use the correct lanes and just stick to the left.
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How about getting around to finally widening the Penn Road itself? Then the traffic in the evening can get well away from the island a bit quicker.
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Seriously, the Penn Road Island? Sort out the Bilston Street Island that is just rediculous, or even better, take the islands out of the Stafford Road including the Vine, Goodyear and Strykers islands.
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