The Isle of Wight Council will soon be changing the lane setup on the dual carriageway in Newport, in what is set to be a popular move with frustrated drivers.
New traffic arrangements are to be trialled to see if vehicle flows on Medina Way and Coppins Bridge at Newport can be improved.
The trial will specifically test whether queues in the left-hand lane of the Medina Way dual carriageway, on the approach to Coppins Bridge from Cowes, can be shortened.
Under the new arrangements, the destinations for each lane on Medina Way southbound will be amended. The left-hand lane, currently marked ‘Ryde’, ‘East Cowes’ and ‘Sandown’, will be marked ‘Ryde’ and ‘East Cowes’.
The right-hand lane, currently marked ‘Town Centre’ will be amended to ‘Town Centre’ and ‘Sandown’. To summarise, vehicles bound for Sandown will be directed to use the right-hand lane.
On the final section of the approach to Coppins Bridge (beyond the Fairlee turnoff/Link Road slip lane) the 2 lanes will again be marked with new destinations.
The left-hand lane, currently marked ‘Sandown’, will be marked ‘Downs’ and will be for all vehicles using Snooks Hill to access Staplers and beyond. Vehicles bound for Sandown will be directed to use the right-hand lane along with vehicles destined for Newport town centre.
New signage will be in place to help guide motorists. The arrangements will come into force the week commencing 16th March.
Traffic flows will be monitored during the trial to enable an informed decision to be made on whether to keep the new layout, amend the design to a different arrangement or revert to the existing layout.
Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, Councillor Ian Ward, said:
“As promised, we have listened to recent feedback on traffic flows along Medina Way and on the approach to Coppins Bridge — particularly on the left-hand lane — and have modelled a potentially new approach to traffic management.
“While there are limited options available to us on Coppins Bridge itself, we are able to explore alternative traffic arrangements and lane markings on the approach and we will be monitoring closely the effects of the new layout.
“In addition, we continue to look at other improvements at the busiest Newport junctions.”
Sounds good let’s hope it works I think it may confuse some of the mature drivers
‘scuse me, I’m 70 and NOT confused…!
Martin I was think of the more mature drivers more like in the 80 we will wait and see what happens !!!
Better to think before submitting a comment like that, the hole you originally dug is just getting bigger, older people are not thick, with years comes experience, a change in lane layout may surprise people of any age initially and has nothing to do with age.
I agree with the general sentiment of the ‘elderly’ but it’s not a cover all….. It’s many a time I have followed someone that has forgotten what an accelerator pedal is, crawling along at 15-20 mph. Just as dangerous as speeding IMHO. And the elderly woman who drove the wrong way round Waitrose roundabout in E Cowes…
Don’t slate Helen… she’s on the right lines…
All drivers should take a retest at 70
What a ridiculous comment
Its the lane jumpers who will be confused. those who want to scream thru at excessive speed and cut you up.
I think it will confuse a lot of drivers on the island going on the standard of driving iv seen
Exactly the same was done some years ago & worked very well,..
then the IWC changed it back to how it is now!
(probably because it worked too well & removed their excuses for spending on other unneeded schemes (like the current St Mary’s fiasco.)
Similar to when (a year or so after the chaotic coppins bridge light were introduced) the lights failed & took a week or so to get fixed, & everyone found it all worked much better, just as a roundabout, without the lights,.. but the Council refused to leave them turned off.
Thanks, I too thought it had been done before. Thought I was imagining it.
It was done a few years back, but didn’t last long. Hopefully the signage for lane discipline will be better this time. Some councillors agree with switching the Coppins lights off except for the pedestrian crossings, but the overpaid professionals say it won’t work, as it does at South Street. Besley did a cartoon in the CP when the lights were installed, which showed a row of houses with one larger one in the middle. The comment was:That one belongs to the guy who has the County Hall traffic light contract .
Councillor Ian Ward, said: “As promised, we … modelled a potentially new approach”
Councillor Ward obviously doesn’t do his homework,.. this ‘approach’ isn’t new! It’s been tried before.
Let’s hope it improves matters. Better than the usual speeding down the outside lane and tucking into the inside lane at the last opportunity! Will it just lead to queues in the outside lane at Coppins Bridge with the inside lane practically empty?
A medina crossing from stag lane to the East Cowes road would be even better… do something that moves the iow into the 21st century
The only way you going to ease traffic on coppins bridge is another bridge over river medina end off
Totally agree old thing. For the few boats that ‘need’ to use the medina, then a bridge would be of the greatest benefit to all others on the Island.
In wars the REMY constructed bridges under enemy fire, in days.
Sadly our council would pay out to chums hundreds of K, in consultation fees, and no doubt be very well ‘thanked’ for the business, and then decide not to have it anyway.
The Royal Engineers put a Bailey Bridge over the river in Kings Lynn a temporary measure, and it was there 10-15 years +, it worked very well, but that was in the 1970’s people were clever then..
Yes, totally agree. I would place it out the back of the industrial estate and up to east cows route. Then all the large trucks that are heading for the ferries will miss most of new port out. Just an uneducated thought. 😉
About time, I travel/suffer this route twice a day, totally unacceptable. Should have been done along time ago.
When they tried it a few years ago didn’t think it made any difference. Needs a 3rd lane would probably work better if there was room
More loud honking, abuse, hand gestures and screeching of brakes as drives take a decade or so to get used to the ‘new fangled’ system.
When we are forced into EV’s then most won’t be able to afford a car anyway, all part of the Governments plan to save costs of more and upgrading roads across the country. Keep the masses on public transport so the rich can drive as they used to do, on quite roads once again.
THINK
Love you comments seay
Sadly, Marmite lovers are rare. Rather here only ‘nice’ but unrealistic comments. Glad at least you enjoy such. Must say I agree with a lot of what you say too. Yet I like peoples differing views, just often puzzled as to why they see things so differently.
that’s how they used to be marked before the council changed them ,nobody could figure out why they did, it never made any sense but not many things they do are logical.
At last! Hooray
We don’t see how painting the road is going to help educate island people how to use a roundabout. As a professional delivery driver for one of the major supermarket I dislike the island run (all our depot drivers feel the same) the simple rule of “give way to the right” on roundabouts seems difficult to most islanders REGARDLESS of age. I’ve been undercut many times on roundabouts with drivers sounding there warning horns at me!
I know we can all get in our boxes on wheels and forget about everyone else but it would help everyone and yourselves if you think outside that box….using indicators correctly would also help. Tick me down, as they say there’s none so blind as won’t see.
How true