Smallbrook Roundabout on the outskirts of Ryde is to be ripped up and completely redeveloped to improve road safety at the notorious junction.
The off-centre mini-roundabout will be transformed later this year with approaches widened and realigned, traffic islands installed and the centre of the roundabout repositioned.
Works are expected to get underway in the next few months and will cause significant disruption for the thousands of motorists that pass through the area each day. However, once complete, the roundabout should flow better and the risk of collisions occurring will hopefully be reduced significantly.
The improvements will also assist with the extra traffic expected in the area over the coming years with the expansion of Nicholson Road and new homes at West Acre Park, Rosemary Vineyard and Pennyfeathers.
Contractors have already been seen on site to appraise which trees will need to be removed and to mark where utilities will need to be dug up.
There will also be disruption for motorists in the lead up to work at Smallbrook getting underway, as Ashey Road will be closed for utility works from 18th January to 5th March. It is thought that the redevelopment of Smallbrook Roundabout will begin soon after.
For years motorists have been calling for this roundabout to be looked at properly. Over £100,000 was spent a few years back to make some improvements, but the roundabout remains off-centre to each approach. The number of collisions occurring each year has fallen though.
Island Echo approached the Isle of Wight Council for a statement earlier this week. The authority confirmed that it is the Council’s continued intention to upgrade the roundabout but at this stage there are no confirmed dates or visuals to share.
An announcement with further detail on this major scheme is expected in due course.
“Crashes have been a regular occurrence at the roundabout for years. This incident happened 10 years ago”
Am I the only one who sees the irony in the comment under the photo?
All at our costs, but to enrichen the c ouncil via d evelopers who ruin both B ullen, and Pen ey Feath ers, Nicolson rd industial estate et al.
Vote these vile people out next time.
Beware of the severed hand that haunts this area too. Two people I know have witnessed it.
Think you need to have your keyboard looked at,Looks like you are writing in code.
Simples! either repaint the circle in the right place…. OR how about 4 way traffic lights? a la Medina way…
Please god, lets hope they don’t freakin ruin it like St Marys. Such an unimprovement they made there.
Really? I drive for a living and it is much better now than the roundabout that preceded it. Islanders really do like to moan for the sake of it.
Not true .the new junction at st Mary’s is a huge improvement .My trip home from work now only takes 15 mins instead of an hour .
Why can the work not be done when Ashey road is closed to avoid two lots of disruption
Too simple an idea for the council to understand!
When will they do something at whitley bank roundabout? That’s much worse and completely misaligned.
Agree, the Ashey roundabout is awful, but Whitely bank is dangerous
There’s not a lot wrong with it if you stick to the 30mph limit on approach, stop and look properly. Whitley bank is one of the better mini roundabouts on the island.
Sorry have to disagree. The route from canteen road doesn’t even reach the roundabout and nobody ever understands whose right of way it is and just sit there.
Canteen road does reach the roundabout.
If you don’t understand that you have to give way to traffic approaching from your right then please hand back your driving license.
Let hope the contractors will be as quick and come in on budget, like the St Mary’s Road workers
This is a dangerous roundabout I’ve seen it atack many cars ! Most of them driving too fast, not giving way, and on their phones ,if your car suffers any of these symptoms keep away from ashey !
The standard of driving on the island is abissmal, most drivers havent a clue how to use a roundabout hence so many RTC’s there.
How many times do you see drivers just sitting staring at each other wondering who goes first then you get the others that just drive straight across the roundabouts without even stopping.
Slow down, drive to the conditions and how you were taught before your test simples.
What is needed is better education regarding the rules about mini-roundabouts. Far too many motorists who use this junction (and other similar 4 way ones) seem to think, INCORRECTLY, that they have right of way to turn right across the path of another vehicle that intends to go straight across from the opposite side. As this is a 4 way junction they do not have that right of way. Vehicles entering a mini-roundabout are required to give way ONLY to vehicles emerging from the first road to their immediate right.
Simply not true. Mini roundabouts are the same rules as normal roundabouts. You are required to give way to traffic coming from your right. Someone turning right opposite you is coming from your right.
If you’re in any doubt I suggest you read the highway code. Here it is: https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html
Don’t quote me, but I was told that highway code is not Law, rules etc as stated on page 2 of code.
I might be wrong asi not bothered to look
Yes. You’re wrong.
The highway code is the rules around the road traffic act. As such it is law that you must follow any rule that states you must.
Some are advisory. Most are law.
It won’t.let me post a link, but look up rules 159 to 203 in the highway code. It is very very clear.
Well, I checked the Highway Code and it is, indeed, very clear. Mini roundabouts must be treated the same as any other roundabout and there is even a picture showing that you must give way to a car coming round across your path. There is no special rule that says you do not have to give way to a car ‘turning right’ across your bows. It’s just a roundabout. The arrangement at Ashey is NOT a crossroads, it’s a roundabout. People making up their own rules is a cause of accidents.
I havnt said anything about a car turning right across your bows.
I have said that a car that is opposite you turning right is coming from your right, and you are required to give way.
If that means you cannot clear the roundabout before the car opposite starts their turn on the roundabout, then yes you must allow them to go infront of you – because it is illegal for you to enter the roundabout.
Meanwhile, does it actually matter if you have to stop for a few seconds to allow someone to go? Does it really delay your day that much that you feel the need to risk an accident? Even if the law were less clear, would you really go and risk a collision?
Or would you wait and be safe?
that is really the question here.
Sorry, I think there’s a crossed line. I wasn’t contradicting you. I was replying to Ivor Biggun (doubt it). His post was completely and utterly wrong, yours was completely correct and we said the same thing in different words. I don’t comment often and clicked in the wrong place.
Fair nuff
What an utter load of B****KS
It’s a roundabout, therefore rules for roundabouts apply.
If it was a 4-way junction, it wouldn’t have the central circle, or roundabout signs.
You are a classic example of an island driver not knowing how to approach roundabouts and the cause of RTC’s on them.
Please re visit your highway code and then ask for a driving lesson with an approved driving instructor before you become another statistic.
‘The number of collisions occurring each year has fallen’.
Well done IoW Council. Yes, this is a notorious junction, but on the other hand there is a certain Junction on Forest Road where there has been a fatal accident amongst many others, and yet there they suggested moving a hedge!
I think whoever is in charge of road safety needs to think again!
there was a fatal accident because an inexperienced driver was following her GPS rather than watching the road, and thought she had priority.
Had the hedges been cut back and maintained properly, the signs telling her otherwise would have been clearer. The addition of rumble strips would have helped. But when someone is too intent on their GPS they simply dont pay attention.
The funny stories of people driving into rivers are down to GPS. This isnt a funny story, but has exactly the same cause.
Had the bus driver not swerved, it may not have been fatal, but I defy anyone not to swerve when a car comes at them from the left at speed.
Improve island driving! …thats it
It’s shockingly bad.come across it several times a day
I thought they were going to upgrade the whole road layout when they built the new ice rink. I expect now they have planning this won’t get done just like Newport football pitch.
Yes Stu, I was wondering myself what was happening about the proposed new sports centre. Will it ever happen? Does this work suggest that maybe it might?
All it needs is traffic lights as people on the island don’t know how to use a roundabout
then they should learn.
traffic lights there would cost a fortune. If you dont know how to use a mini roundabout, hand in your licence.
Most people on the Island are now from the Mainland.
the people who have moved here know how to drive properly.
Am I being cybical here or isn’t this really just the first phase of the Smallbrook development?
They should do the same at Vittlefields Cross. Not just cut the hedge. That junction is far mor dangerous
More Tory fascism.
“Tory facism” demonstrated by fixing a dangerous roundabout?
What the hell are you on?
Idiot.
Its very often over grown hedges and trees that obstruct the view of approaching traffic at road junctions and roundabouts It never makes sense when the council covers roundabouts in shrubs and trees,so you cant see whats coming it would be much cheaper to cut hedges and trees back than keep putting traffic lights every chance they get.
the idea of hedges is to force drivers to stop and look at the roundabout as they cant see anything on approach.It works, but shouldnt be needed.
Smallbrooke Roundabout has trees and bushes in the wrong place, which makes it sometimes impossible to spot drivers approaching even when you get to the roundabout. I have driven across it many times and then seen someone approaching from my right as I enter the roundabout that I couldnt see before.
I have also stopped many times and waited for someone coming from my right to go – and they just sit there because they have no idea how a roundabout works. Ive even seen someone put their hazards on and ignore everyone coming from their right just to barge their way through the roundabout. Shame the police werent about.
The reason this roundabout is so dangerous is a few trees in the sightline, and abysmal drivers. Build a hard standing, sit a police car on it for a while, arrest the morons, and there would be no need to rebuild anything.
I do not think that roundabout is dangerous; but then I always approach very slowly and look every way; stopping if necessary. I do agree that the bushes and trees there do need cutting well back/removing; that should not cost a fortune to carry out.