Traffic lights to “manage queues at Woodmill Bridge” are to be installed in January 2020, with diversions in place as Woodmill Lane between Oliver Road and Manor Farm Road closes for two weeks while work takes place.
• ‘Prepare for delays’ during £250,000 Woodmill Bridge ‘signalisation’
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Work is scheduled to take place from January 6 – 19. A diversion route will be in place via Cobden Bridge, although there will be access to the Activity Centre throughout.
The new traffic signals will apparently run part-time, based on traffic flow, and switched on during the February half term, which starts on February 17.
“It is expected that they will be on during the day time and will switch off at night time when traffic flow is lower,” explains a letter from the council’s Highway Service Partnership, posted on local Facebook pages this week and delivered to residents.
Having cars waiting needlessly at red lights during the night, and the possible noise from loud car stereos, has been one of the objections to lights, particularly from those living close to the bridge.
The letter says that a public consultation at the end of 2018 garnered 237 submissions.
It was described at the time as an “informal consultation” during which the council’s Highways Service Partnership said it sent out 2435 letters to properties either side of Woodmill Bridge asking for a sample of views.
“Overall, the majority of submissions indicated a preference for the installation of traffic signals to manage queues at Woodmill Bridge,” the latest letter says.
Temporary lights at Woodmill
"Puffing mad"
A ‘puffin’ pedestrian crossing is expected to also be installed at the same time, which will cross Woodmill Lane and effectively link the tidal and non-tidal stretches of the river walk. Test Green candidate Katherine Barbour has already commented that she’d be “puffing mad if they did this” adding in a November letter to the council: “It will not benefit walkers, cyclists or drivers but will just add to the snarl ups and frustration.”
Strong reactions
Whether traffic lights should be installed on Woodmill Bridge has been under discussion for as long as we’ve been publishing this site, and probably for much longer, and the topic has always provoked strong reactions – both for and against – in comments sections and social media.
Whether this system will solve the traffic problems at Woodmill remains to be seen.
We contacted various councillors and the highways partnership for comment and to ask about the cost of the scheme, but there was reluctance to speak before the election. We hope to bring you more on this shortly.
Update: see our subsequent article
• ‘Prepare for delays’ during £250,000 Woodmill Bridge ‘signalisation’
Previously
‘No costings’ for Woodmill traffic signal scheme - Oct 2018
New traffic light proposal for Woodmill - Oct 2018
Woodmill Waiting - blast from the past from 2006, written by the late Dr Ian Thomas