MacAulay Road roundabout
Have you been wondering why progress on the new road layout was so slow?
The plan was to have two lanes coming into two from Newmarket, one of which filtered traffic to the left, up Perceval Road and the other lane for traffic going down Matheson Road. A bit like the junction of Bayhead at the Spar has two lanes.
The roundabout and crossings were to be moved to facilitate this, and (inevitably) vast expense has been incurred, before I got a copy of the official project design:
I am now told that the new road layout cannot go ahead, as - errr - the road isn't wide enough for three lanes.
Obviously, this shrinkage is due to the vast amount of rain over the winter and not for any other reason.
When the Council are looking at this again, perhaps they should also check that they followed the correct procedures in notifying residents of the work that they were undertaking, as not one affected resident was ever given notice of the work that was to be done, other than why the guys turned up on site to start the work.
(Declaration of interest: my parents are an affected party).
Perhaps the Council can refute all this by the simple expedient of putting some temporary markings on the road to give the road users some sort of clue as to where they should and shouldn't drive.
(LC apologises: he posted this under his name when it should be under "angus")
The plan was to have two lanes coming into two from Newmarket, one of which filtered traffic to the left, up Perceval Road and the other lane for traffic going down Matheson Road. A bit like the junction of Bayhead at the Spar has two lanes.
The roundabout and crossings were to be moved to facilitate this, and (inevitably) vast expense has been incurred, before I got a copy of the official project design:
I am now told that the new road layout cannot go ahead, as - errr - the road isn't wide enough for three lanes.
Obviously, this shrinkage is due to the vast amount of rain over the winter and not for any other reason.
When the Council are looking at this again, perhaps they should also check that they followed the correct procedures in notifying residents of the work that they were undertaking, as not one affected resident was ever given notice of the work that was to be done, other than why the guys turned up on site to start the work.
(Declaration of interest: my parents are an affected party).
Perhaps the Council can refute all this by the simple expedient of putting some temporary markings on the road to give the road users some sort of clue as to where they should and shouldn't drive.
(LC apologises: he posted this under his name when it should be under "angus")
22 comments:
I think you might find that the mythical road plan that was used was read upside down since the extra lane is on the way out of town but you eventually run into a kerb before Stewart Drive.
Now don't get me started
This improvement was initially part of the solution to speed up the journey time for Ness schoolkids to ensure that their journey was less than the one hour maximum as per the then council policy. When queried by parents on the effectiveness of the plans the council officials insisted that not only would it speed up through traffic but (and this is a direct quote) "their modeling showed that there would be no more delays for any traffic in the mornings at the manor roundabout".
Funny how had the school closures not been called in then the Ness kids would be well and truly in the mire - despite the cock up the decision would have been taken and the council's sleight of hand, albeit exposed would ultimately have been successful.
funny how when the government called in the schools closure that work stopped almost immediately.
How much did all this work cost.
If they knew beforehand that it would not work then its deceitful.
If they didn't know and their modeling is proved to be faulty then your comment showing a copy of their plans is far too close for comfort.
Also - having stretched their imagimation to the absolute limit to try and resolve the time issue they finally hit upon the perfect answer - increase the minimum journey time to one hour and twenty - thereby the next time they try and shut the schools the claim will be that it meets with council policy.
What kind of imbeciles / bare faced liars are they?
This ill thought out project, particularly in these times, is ridiculous.
When it started the 'excuse' for proceeding without planning (and consulting with the local residents) was that they had to make as much progress as possible before the clocks changed so the planning would be done retrospectively. It has turned into such a mess that the clocks are about to swing forward again and the damn place is still in bits.
My modeling show that everyone involved with this project is a fool.
Demolish that bridge at Laxdale and replace it with a double lane bridge. I could not care less if it is listed, apply to de-list it. Put intelligent traffic lights on the roundabout to deal with drivers who can't use a roundabout.
What were the local councilors thinking - oh I remember, a couple of them were far too busy knocking back Sunday drinks licences on religious grounds.
2.17
Sorry should read maximum journey time to one hour and twenty
The trouble in the morning - large queue from Laxdale school to the roundabout was never going to be solved with 2 lanes from Uquhart Gardens to the roundabout anyway.
The problem is the amount of people who skip the queue by either going up Laxdale lane (at least 100 cars between 8.40am and 9am) and joining the Lochs queue or nipping through the Cearns and down Stewart Drive (Where they then wave and smile to the person that lets them out, who is also the person they are skipping the queue on in the first place!). That is why most of us wait every morning - for these selfish individuals who obviously have much more important things to do than us.
Now if there was traffic lights on the roundabout that let the cars from Lochs and Laxdale out at equal times there would be no gain in skipping and the problem would be solved. Simples !!
Another fine Manford Mess- Up. First the foul-up with the gritting, now a cock-up with the roundabout. Is there no end to the Manford talent for messing things up and creating smokescreens to give the impression that nothing is his responsibility?
Why the lane change? The fact is it was done to satisfy councillors in Ness and Tolsta so that their community wind turbines could negotiate the roundabout. Origionally it was assumed AMEC would get the go ahead and their special access roads could be used. That scheme died and some quick thinking was required as to how to get the turbines out from Arnish.
No other reason. All other reasons are porkies.
While we are at it I am surprised that there has been no comments about Beinn Mhor Power taking ownership of our roads. They have just put in a second planning application to alter public roads. This time it is at Arnish, last time it was in Balallan.
Why are the council not doing this work and charging the developer? Can anyone apply to dig up our roads? What measures are in place to check that this work is done correctly and is to a suitable long term standard?
It would seem obvious to anyone that the whole traffic queuing issue could easily and cost effectively have been sorted by using pre-set traffiic light control sequences for each day and night of the week plus a box junction at the Stewart Drive and Macaulay Road junction. I notice that the railings have been removed a few weeks ago - anf wonder why? Is pedestrian safety not an issue any more then?
7.41
The road in question has got nothing to do with the council it is owned by the Arnish Yard
Simple and cheap option to the traffic problem at roundabout is to make the short road between Stewart Drive and the Cearns one way ( into Cearns ) so that people taking shortcuts cannot enter Stewart Drive from Cearns, so that the only cars emerging onto road at bottom of Stewart Drive will be Residents.
Oh FFS! What a clusterf*ck! Whatever the reason, I wish they would hurry up and resurface the road, as it's like driving on a track!
9.24: not true I am afraid. Comhairle are being run by a private developer in the same way as Trump ran riot in Aberdeenshire.
9.24. How do you then explain this -
"The land identified in the application includes land that will become permanent improvements to the public road and also temprary working areas."
Thats from the developers own submission
It was much better the way it was...only the Lochies were held up. With the roundabout, drivers from the Westside, Ness, Back and Tolsta etc are all held up.
What a shower of whingers youse all are, blaming it all on poor Donald Mumford who gave a brilliant concert for us Sy coves last night! Och yes he cocked-up the ticket sales but so what! Youse Southerners don't appreciate what a prize ass-ett he really iss!
9.24 Here
I do not know what the application says but I can assure you that the council have nothing to do with the road that runs from the main lochs road at the Creed out to the Arnish Yard.
Can I get 2 grams of what ever 7:38 is snorting?
Don't be so dumb. Any engineer worth his salt will get any length of turbine round a rounabout. Particularly one with a large piece of open ground beside it. Crane .... a couple of lorries... you work out the rest.
Are you sure that the council have not contracted this out to the retired Orcadian mannie we called the Colossus of Roads for his schemes. His speciality was to have roundabouts wherever he could (which subsided to a 30 degree angle) and which then caused longer traffic queues than before they were built.
I see today they are installing pedestrian-controlled traffic lights at the brow of the hill between Stewart Drive and the hospital entrance.
The queues back from the lights in each direction will really help in the morning.
Not.
The new pedestrian crossing is being located there to allow (1) access to the Hospital and (2) Kids to cross safely on the way to/from school. This was proposed a long time back by the Council.
The previous crossing point at the junction with the roundabout is being changed to discourage crossing there.
However, it looks to me like it is in the middle of the junction, rather than two-thirds across, giving a wide exit from the roundabout and a very narrow two-lane approach.
However, will all these changes actually help the traffic flows? I fear not.
The road has been resurfaced and there is an extra lane so what is the problem?
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