Britannia Crossroads
 

I'm verry happy to see them finally start work up there BUT...

to do the work they have put up temp traffic lights which took all of an hour or two to fit and surprise, surprise they do the exact job that the roundabout is meant to do. I come through at rush hour ( 5pm - 5:30) and the traffic is never backed up to any particular degree.

Why didn't they just shove some traffic lights there and be done, probably a fraction of the cost and a day or two at most to fit. none of this buying two fields etc

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

You could have a point Ian, but so long as they are doing something at this junction lets not complain to much, its been a danger spot for many years and something needed doing. When decisions are made about these things its not always the right one. When I was driving I always said the the only time the road junction at Church worked properly was when the Traffic Lights weren't working, the traffic then flowed freely

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

God alone knows why they just didn't install traffic lights there.

It would have been a lot cheaper than the £800,000 the roundabout is costing.

Plus traffic lights are easier to understand, especially for those numpties who don't know how to navigate safely around a roundabout, and never use their indicators.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

i said teh very same thing when we first talked about these plans on here and got shot down for it

anyway i still maintain traffic lights woudl be better than a roundabout and a lot cheaper

my reasoning is that a red light is more noticable than a roundabout ahead sign and also a red light means stop where as at a roundabout people will be fighting to get out just like they do at theat awfull mini roundabout in blackburn leading up to the KFC next to the BP petrol station

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Maybe if the people who plan these things were paying for it themselves, it may make a difference in their thinking, but hey its the County Council and our money. If they were in the private sector, I'm sure traffic lights would have been the order of the day, but of course they all sing from the Frank Sinatra song sheet at county hall "I did it My Way;)

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Roundabouts are just like a chicane for the road, I hope its positioned such that people driving along Hassy old road have to lose a lot of speed going onto it through sharp right left rights or you will just end up with them hitting those people coming up lottice lane.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

It was explained by LCC Traffic Officer that the junction is not suitable for traffic lights as it does not comply with current regulations for traffic light installation. I think it is due to the approach from the Knuzden side.

Although the temp lights appear to be working they are very unreliable.

7am Saturday morning the lights were stuck on read from the Guide side at least - if not all of them.

Again this morning at 7am they were stuck again. After waiting 5 minutes for them to change cars behind me started to pull out of the waiting line of cars to go through on red. They met car head on comming around the blind bend.

Once I had got through them - on red as they never changed in 10 minutes of waiting - I phoned the Police. I was informed that the company concerned were on there way to fix them. I asked if some Police Officers could be sent to prevent an accident and explained what had happened. All she said again was that the company were on the way. I said "so you are not going to send anyone to prevent an accident?" and she did not reply. I told her how useless I thought she was and hung up.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

just a thought..

if roundabouts are so good then why have they started fitting traffic lights in them like at whitebirk?

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Because they work well together at peak times but better as a roundabout when its quieter.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

When I lived in Belthorn I used that crossroads twice a day and always sighed with relief when I had crossed safely. The steep approach to the junction from the Knuzden side means that drivers crossing on the road from Ossy to Guide did not see them until the last few seconds, and that road is notorious for excessive speed.
There will always be 'amber gamblers' - a roundabout is more likely to reduce accidents.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

amber gamblers seem to be more these days , perhaps instead of a few sets of lights having cameras for people jumping red they should all come with cameras instead of speed cameras on motorways where here isnt realy much use for them

they could make a fortune on dillhall lane ,you get at least 6 cars jumping red causing you to stop even though you lights have been on green for a good 5 seconds or so

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Can someone explain why when the lights turn to green motorists still stop at the junction?
Very annoying.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Because some idiots up there have not been stopping late at night when they are on red. That was another reason LCC gave for not putting traffic lights up there. They said some people would ignore them during the night because it is so isolated up there and that could be more dangerous than leaving the crossroads as it was.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Well, surely if they were going to ignore the lights late at night they wouldn't just steam right through without stopping they'd stop and look just like they do now. There was never accidents in the dead of night at this crossing so LCC have a lame argument there

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

I think the problem is when a car goes through on red and one is coming across it at speed because their light was on green.

It was just one of the reasons for not putting lights up. The main being that it does not meet the current requirements for lights, mainly I think because of the approach from Knuzden.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

With that logic traffic lights are useless everywhere then. At worst they need a camera on them to stop red lighters( with suitably severe deterrent)

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

I can see your point Neil, but even lights would have made a different years ago, but the plain facts are that my making this into a round-a-bout its no different to lights. People coming from Knuzden will still be coming at the same speed and there will be just the same problem as there would have been with lights, the only difference is the round-a-bout is costing £800,000 were lights would have been a darn site cheaper, and the money saved could have been sent on some of the crap roads and pavements we have in Hyndburn

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

I've been through a few times over the last few days and traffic lights do seem to be working well (obviously when they're working).

I think another reason for a roundabout over traffic lights is volume of traffic - if a roundabout is installed the traffic continues to flow, particularly at quiet times but if you install traffic lights you actually have to get people to stop. A roundabout makes more sense in that context.

However, I'm not a great lover of roundabouts, most people don't know how to use them whereas at least most people understand traffic lights.

Having said that, though, I'm just really pleased that something is being done there, it's been a fiasco from start to finish to get something done and now it's eventually happening it's great.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Roundabouts are all well and good if the drivers follow the rules. Have seen loads of bumps outside my house because the person who is supposed to give way hasn't. There again that is just either can't be bothered or don't know their left from their right.

As has been said something needs doing to stop the tragic deaths so we should just be happy it is happening.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

You need to wait and see where the roundabout is being built. I looked a the plans about 3 years ago and think that people coming up the hill will have to slow down or find themselves in the middle of it. They should also be slowing down to give way to cars coming from guide.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

For the amount of money it's costing it was probably nearly enough for a bridge/tunnel.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

There must have been a very strong reason for not installing lights here as it is well-documented that lights are safer than roundabouts due to drivers relying on human judgement at roundabouts and not a definite command as at traffic lights. Safety is the main priority here, (as all junctions) so will have been considered initially.

This roundabout has cost more possibly due to the purchase of the land ?

Normally lights are more expensive, due to the on going electrical costs/maintenance of controls and where there is pedestrian traffic at a four arm structure, crossings have to be installed at a cost of £40,000 each x 4 ! This does not apply to Britannia obviously .. not many pedestrians up there ... :D

Still as we all say, better than nowt.

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

If you lot think those traffic lights are bad, try navigating your way around these, located near me on the Isle of Dogs:

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Roundabouts can be a nightmare too.
Fiveways roundabout Birmingham has about 10 exits because it is a maze of underpasses and flyovers.
It once took me an hour to discover the exit I wanted

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

Pictures Margaret driving round and round and round for an hour :D

I 'm surprised you weren't dizzy!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Re: Britannia Crossroads
 

I had to keep exiting onto dual carriageways and travelling a fair way before I could turn back to try again.
.....and I was already in an agitated state because I was searching for Birmingham Burns Unit where darwendosser had been emergency admitted the night before... a living nightmare:dflam: