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REFLECTING on road misery ... traffic builds up around the Townhead junction.
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Roadworks fail to light-en load
Damon Wilkinson23/ 8/2008
DRIVERS are still facing long jams at Townhead because traffic lights have not been timed correctly.
As the Observer reported in June, highways bosses promised to replace the control panel at the John Street lights in a bid to solve the problem.
But despite that work now being completed drivers are still facing delays because traffic lights have not been programmed to ‘optimum timings’.
And highways bosses say it could be another few months until the junction, which was converted from a roundabout in a bid to reduce congestion and improve safety, is up to speed.
Tim Wood, of the council’s highways department, said: "As is the normal practice with new traffic signals, it could be quite a few months before the optimum timings are in place.
"Once the schools go back, traffic levels will increase so working together with Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control – who control all traffic signals in Greater Manchester – we will need to refine the timings again.
"Our number one priority is safety and the junction is already operating far more efficiently and safer than the roundabout did and we are working with UTC to ensure that any changes to the signals maintain or improve this."
Clive Jones, a retired transport and logistics executive from Littleborough, uses the junction four or five times a week.
He says problems are caused because lights controlling feeder lanes for traffic turning left or right are out of sync with the main lights.
The 69-year-old also claims traffic jams were causing drivers to look for shortcuts through the surrounding streets, putting lives at risk.
He added: "You do not need to be a university graduate to see the problems and what is causing them. They have spent thousands of pounds there, but it just hasn’t worked.
"A pedestrian has already been knocked down and it will happen again.
"The impression I get from speaking to the highways department is that they think it is not that important.
"But something needs to be done – today is not soon enough.
"I am absolutely appalled because they keep making the same mistakes.
"Local people are not being listened to."
Another motorist also complained about the old lights at the top of John Street still being in operation not many yards from the lights that govern the flow of traffic through the junction.
He asked: "What purpose do the John Street lights serve?
"They should be taken down."
Councillor Farooq Ahmed added: "I live in Halifax Road and use that junction every day and there are issues which need resolving.
"There have been quite a few near misses there already but, as is often the case with new systems, these things take time to bed in."
Most recent 2 of 3 user comments
I could always buy a Private Hire car and use the bus lane undetected though.
24/08/2008 at 13:48
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