The 'Victoria Traffic Lights' junction is at last to get a re-design and a new light system. James Maskell has quite rightly been moaning about this junction and its series of fatal accidents in the past 2 years. Kent Highways has a detailed list of safety improvements to make:1. Replace the signals with 'intelligent' traffic assessing signals that will alter signal times to improve traffic flow. A SMART system will also be available for buses to 'trigger' lights in their favour.
2. The installation of a new crossing on the west side of the junction across College Road and an over-run island on the east side of the junction on College Road to prevent illegal right turns.
3. High friction surfacing on the approaches.
4. New cabling and all road and footpaths to be resurfaced.
5. New street lighting columns to be installed.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that work is due to start on 30 March and will last for 16 weeks. Although Kent Highways will carry the work out in stages and try to minimise congestion, we all know that this junction is a nightmare at the best of times.
My advice is to avoid the area shown below if you can during April, May, June and July! The worst times to go anywhere near this junction will be during the morning and afternoon school runs as the knock-on effect on 'Coffin Corner' by St Gregory's is likely to be awful. It will be interesting to see how Kent Highways manages traffic flow during these 'prolonged works'; I suspect the complaints into the papers will start by mid-April.
Just in case you need it, you can call Kent Highways on 08458 247800!
No comments:
Post a Comment