Motorists are having to get used to a major new junction on the Isle of Wight from today (Monday) with St Mary’s Roundabout now removed and replaced with a traffic light junction.
Work at St Mary’s Junction has now entered the final phases, with the project set to be completed by mid-December.
Over the weekend, a complicated temporary traffic light arrangement has been installed at the new junction revealing for the first time how traffic will flow in the area moving forward.
Attention now turns to constructing the new bus lane at the top of Hunnyhill and installing the much sought-after signal-controlled pedestrian crossing.
With the new junction in place, motorists coming from Cowes wanting to travel west to Yarmouth are now able to shorten their journeys by turning right at the new traffic signals at the junction with Forest Road. This junction is now on a permanent set of lights.
Hunnyhill has been closed to all through traffic, except buses, to undertake the construction work on the new bus lane and surrounding area. However resident access will remain throughout, but from the southern end of the road only (at its junction with Foxes Road and Hunnycross Way). Access to Whitesmith Road will be via Albany Road during this time.
The final phase of the work to lay out Parkhurst Road as a cul-de-sac with no through access will be completed between 23rd November and 18th December.
Should have spent the money on linking East and west Cowes, but you can’t educate pork can you…
For once we agree. I would have something coming out the back of the industrial estate so all the commercial traffic going to red funnel has a direct route. Also maybe one further down for light traffic so people going to east cowes have a more direct route. Maybe removing the need for a chain ferry.
and, much as i’d like to see a bridge over the Medina, you can only spend it on what it has been provided to you for.
Yes, like that idiotic chain ferry..
Anything the IOW highways department do with regards traffic management usually makes any problem far worse.
Expect even more congestion
And more accidents from light jumpers.
It was absolute carnage this morning, road closed sign at bottom of hunny hill for 3 months, but still could access roundabout, suddenly hard closure, tail backs all trough industrial estate 1hr30mins to get to cowes, you really couldn’t make this stuff up, it’s now quicker to walk
carnage? don’t you mean confusing?
That doesn’t surprise me, a chimp could have predicted this mess. But then chimps are vastly more intellegent over whoever thought up this ridiculous idea.
or frustrating, or annoying.
20 million sets of traffic lights……. that aughta improve the traffic flow vastly while improving fuel efficency and pollution. Stupid idiots.
nah, ya wanna try Hangar Lane
Put it back to how it was, we are not the middle of London.
What an absolute debacle.
They have ruined the area and destroyed another part of the Isle of Wight.
We are an Island not a city.
The Council strike again!!!
Well most motorists said it would make things worse, might be a bit premature to say ‘told you so’
Desk drivers at it again.
It’s confusing for people who live on the Isle of Wight 🙂
OMG for those stoopid islanders (small percentage) that don’t know how to use the slip road on to the dual carriageway… this will be a challenge … I can’t wait to see the carnage lol…
Congrats to the Tory council members if today is the result on a year of works at at Mary’s roundabout. Absolute chaos today. You deserve a pay rise. In carrots !
You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig
I found it incredibly difficult getting to work today as I had to travel in a straight line instead of the usual slight curve getting past this, so called, roundabout! I had to read the signs at one point, that clearly tell you which lane to take in order to proceed to your destination. Whatever next? They’ll be expecting us all to drive legally and pass our driving tests – and perhaps look where we are going?
Spot on. Its hardly rocket science is it. Get in the right lane and wait until the traffic lights are green for you to go. If they are red you have to stop. Tricky stuff ay.
Come Winter, a wet road followed by a good, hard frost – should provide lots of harmless entertainment!
The advice is to use alternative routes during this current process. How can you get from Cowes to Newport? Whiterails Rd, Forest Rd junction is even more dangerous. Any suggestions appreciated.
Fly
No there’s not much choice is there, but I suspect you mean Whitehouse Rd
I’d love to have millions of pounds at my disposal and be in a position to give some to my friends to do a survey, thereby justifying their existence. Then they create a ‘plan’ which costs another million. After all that they recommend a subsidiary branch of my own company carry out the work I had asked for in the first place. When it all goes dramatically wrong… Well put it back the way it was, and they all get paid again. Huzzah! That’s the IWCC way of transport management and road improvements. Two hours to get in and out of B & Q yesterday! Definitely value for money from the immense Council Tax I pay.
If you don’t want to get stuck in the 45 minute traffic chaos then the answer is simple …. use the floating bridge
Yes it will be available for about 60 out of 365 days per year !
I went through the junction in both directions, where are the signs how are islanders let alone the beloved visitors suposed to find there way. Never mind if they have been here this year they will never come back. The lines of trafic streching back interminably.
Wasnt long ago everyone was complaining mainlanders were coming here. Now your complaining they wont come back. Moan moan moan
Travel from forest rd direction to cowes each morning, can’t understand why there is a crossing 20 yards before the main lights which only allows 3 vehicles between them and sandwiched in between is the left turning to cowes shambles of an engineering project, why wasn’t the left turn moved further back, that’s why the queue is there every morning half of its going left to cowes.
Build a bridge off the island would have been money well spent
Will the council change it back to a roundabout if it doesnt work