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Work on A338 Spur Road hitting other routes (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Work on A338 Spur Road hitting other routes
7:40am Wednesday 25th November 2009
MORNING rush hour on the A338 Spur Road went a little more smoothly yesterday but motorists say it was hell elsewhere.
The switch of the road works on to the northbound carriageway on Monday saw traffic delays on both lanes and had a knock-on effect around the conurbation.
Project leader David Diaz said the trouble on the southbound carriageway was unexpected and he would monitor the situation over the coming days.
Yesterday the southbound carriageway was relatively clear moving and the queues on the northbound lanes by the Cooper Dean roundabout were shorter.
But motorists said there were still traffic delays on the outskirts of town, particularly Castle Lane West, Ensbury Park and Boscombe.
There was heavy congestion on Castle Lane West during yesterday’s rush hour.
Dr Brian Moreland said he was livid after arriving 40 minutes late for seeing patients at the Crescent Surgery in Boscombe.
“They have started the work on the Spur Road, they have closed off Ashley Road and now they have put temporary traffic lights on Christchurch Road by the Crescent. It was pandemonium,” he said.
“I am a doctor and was made 40 minutes late for surgery. If this is happening now because of lizards what is it going to be like from September next year? Joking apart I said to my wife I might have to live at the surgery weekdays next year so I can get to work on time.
“I do think it is appalling what is going on at the moment. There has been no planning at all.”
Yesterday evening saw congestion again after a four-car collision near the Cooper Dean roundabout. Some staff at Bournemouth Hospital reported 45-minute delays leaving the site.
Mr Diaz put much of Monday’s chaos down to the weather. He said: “We want to get the message out that between the peak times the road is free flowing and people should not be discouraged from coming to Bournemouth to do their shopping.”
He said cones were placed between the Cooper Dean roundabout and the Blackwater Bridge junction to enable officers to take samples of the road material but these will be removed as soon as traffic levels allow.
The work is being carried out to prepare for a £26 million refurbishment of the road due to begin next autumn.
Andy Ackerman, head of highways at Dorset County Council, said: “While significant delays have been experienced during rush hours, traffic has been moving well in between and we would encourage shoppers not to avoid travelling to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at these times.”
Have you been caught up in jams? Tell us where...
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Your Say YourEcho
booandthebabies, Bournemouth says...
8:48am Wed 25 Nov 09
MandinVerwood, Verwood says...
8:50am Wed 25 Nov 09
It's like the temporary lights in the area in Ferndown and even Parly Crossroads - they have not been taken into consideration and changes to the sequences to allow a better flow of traffice.
dissc, Ferndown says...
8:57am Wed 25 Nov 09
So, yes there are muppets out their but their effect on the roads can be reduced by good planning better signs and surface road markings.
The reason these things don't get done are probably down to saving money.
It costs money to employ competent people in the planning department.
It costs money to build more robust traffic systems that have built-in redundancy.
How much would it cost to build a separate junction for the peope in Thorop, to Hern Airport, to Bournemouth Hospital? It will , probably over time save millions in lost days work, missed flights, deaths and accidents.
Take heed Dorset Council, road planning on the cheap ultimately costs more!
The irate commuter, says...
9:24am Wed 25 Nov 09
Will it take a death of someone trying to get to the hospital to make Mr Diaz realise that this work needs to done outside the rush-hour ?
B.F.G, Poole says...
9:30am Wed 25 Nov 09
The fear of that may make people concentrate more on their driving and less on trivial things such as satnavs/ipods/maps/p
hones etc.
fedupwithjobsworths, Moordown says...
9:46am Wed 25 Nov 09
The irate commuter wrote:It would appear that the health and safety of lizards is their number one priority - Jobsworths
So they have now moved the bollards to after Blackwater Junction...net result = no difference. Will it take a death of someone trying to get to the hospital to make Mr Diaz realise that this work needs to done outside the rush-hour ?
The_Baron, Parkstone says...
9:48am Wed 25 Nov 09
doubletop, bournemouth says...
10:23am Wed 25 Nov 09
pedro66, sunny south says...
10:48am Wed 25 Nov 09
ekimnoslen, says...
11:19am Wed 25 Nov 09
dissc, Ferndown says...
11:45am Wed 25 Nov 09
ekimnoslen wrote:It is the ultimate reason for all this chaos. "Planning" more and more developments in Bournemouth without taking into account the extra car journeys that this generates.
I'm no expert on these things but any time there is a shunt or roadworks on one of the well used commuter roads chaos seems to ensue. Is this not merely the result of over population? Too many people and not enough space on the roads for us all possibly made worse by excess commuting. I fear it's gonna get worse unless something is done about global overpopulation generally but naturally it's not PC to discuss such things. Probably infringes someones Human Rights!
We can't expect people to work near where they live, the world no longer works like that. Over the last 100 years we have moved away from the places where we shop, work and relax. Families have moved all over the country if not the world. So, putting a few more buses on the road and encouraging us to ride bikes just doesn't work for most of us. The lucky few, who live within a reasonable distance of a bus route, railway station (where trains go to their place of work) or where they work are very fortunate. I use my bike where I can but the cycle routes in this area are even less well integrated than the roads. Where they are really needed on narrow and/or dangerous roads they do not exist. Where they are not needed they do exist. They were put in to get money out of central government who pay by the mile. So, the council puts them where it cheap to do so. Never mind that they don't link up with each other or make cycling any more safe.
So, I have to use my car to go to work, which is in the middle of rural Hampshire and where houses cost £1M+). On some routes I use my car just to stay alive!
So, it's a simple choice stop building more homes in Bournemouth, more shops, expanding the airport etc until the infrastructure is there to support it. IMHO it's just more MORONIC planning by DCC. Oh and there is no quick solution, its taken a 100 years to ge into this mess, it will take a few decades to get out of it again. Trouble is we haven't even started to fix the problem yet!
jobsworthwatch, Bournemouth says...
11:51am Wed 25 Nov 09
fedupwithjobsworths wrote:Is the pollution from all this stationary traffic killing the lizards? Do these jobsworths know the difference between a dead and an alive lizard?
The irate commuter wrote: So they have now moved the bollards to after Blackwater Junction...net result = no difference. Will it take a death of someone trying to get to the hospital to make Mr Diaz realise that this work needs to done outside the rush-hour ?It would appear that the health and safety of lizards is their number one priority - Jobsworths
Frank Spencer, Bournemouth says...
11:52am Wed 25 Nov 09
cardomon, Bournemouth says...
12:22pm Wed 25 Nov 09
poole_god wrote:This is true and it didn't help. However neither did the police who did their usual stand around and look at the accident rather than move the vehicles out of the way and get the traffic moving.
It appears a lot of the complaints yesterday are about 4 muppets who decided to crach into each other at Cooper Dean, nothing to do with the road works but does highlight the issues you cause when not driving with due care.
Hospital folk can balme them for much of their delay last night
[Chris], WWW says...
12:24pm Wed 25 Nov 09
.
No disrespect to those caught up in the accident, but that coming to light proves in general that the lengthy queues coming out of the hospital, and at Cooper Dean were not really the fault of the works, but of the accident. (Hope not too many injuries, and they get well soon).
.
Mr Diaz and Co will keep an eye on the matter of the road over the next few days. As it is getting better, it is unlikely that any changes will be made. So it is a case of continuing as you are.
.
I am still trying to ascertain where it was busy in Ensbury Park. Passed through there a number of times yesterday, and saw no difference, except for the school traffic which is a daily thing anyway.
.
Peggy Babcock, Poole says...
12:28pm Wed 25 Nov 09
The irate commuter, says...
12:49pm Wed 25 Nov 09
poole_god, says...
1:21pm Wed 25 Nov 09
I think I am right in thinking this was before the roadworks but a worthy point you have rasied.
pd7, Dorset says...
2:43pm Wed 25 Nov 09
[Chris], WWW says...
3:46pm Wed 25 Nov 09
cardomon wrote:An accident cannot just be moved to please you and other drivers. An RTA has to be investigated, photographs taken, evidence, statements, without moving anything. When Traffic and the investigating teams are happy, then it will be moved.
poole_god wrote:This is true and it didn't help. However neither did the police who did their usual stand around and look at the accident rather than move the vehicles out of the way and get the traffic moving.
It appears a lot of the complaints yesterday are about 4 muppets who decided to crach into each other at Cooper Dean, nothing to do with the road works but does highlight the issues you cause when not driving with due care.
Hospital folk can balme them for much of their delay last night
.
[Chris], WWW says...
3:48pm Wed 25 Nov 09
The irate commuter wrote:I would gladly if I knew him, and was to ever meet him. However, I am surprised he is not on your hit list for contacting........lo
Chris, please say 'hello' to Mr Diaz from me when you see him later. Thanks.
l
EGHH, says...
4:27pm Wed 25 Nov 09
grimreaper, Ensbury Park says...
5:28pm Wed 25 Nov 09
wrote:People Power
cardomon wrote:An accident cannot just be moved to please you and other drivers. An RTA has to be investigated, photographs taken, evidence, statements, without moving anything. When Traffic and the investigating teams are happy, then it will be moved. .poole_god wrote: It appears a lot of the complaints yesterday are about 4 muppets who decided to crach into each other at Cooper Dean, nothing to do with the road works but does highlight the issues you cause when not driving with due care. Hospital folk can balme them for much of their delay last nightThis is true and it didn't help. However neither did the police who did their usual stand around and look at the accident rather than move the vehicles out of the way and get the traffic moving.
.
Lets start fighting back !
.
If every driver moved one cone as they passed, the law courts would be clogged as solid as the Spur Road and then we might get some real action !!
.
What is the penalty for moving 1 cone ?
grimreaper, Ensbury Park says...
5:30pm Wed 25 Nov 09
.
Lets start fighting back !
.
If every driver moved one cone as they passed, the law courts would be clogged as solid as the Spur Road and then we might get some real action !!
.
What is the penalty for moving 1 cone ?
Lord Spring, says...
5:56pm Wed 25 Nov 09
grimreaper, Ensbury Park says...
6:20pm Wed 25 Nov 09
.
cardomon, Bournemouth says...
11:01am Thu 26 Nov 09
wrote:Yeah yeah, fill in all the paperwork, keep some no-mark in a job, bla bla bla
cardomon wrote:An accident cannot just be moved to please you and other drivers. An RTA has to be investigated, photographs taken, evidence, statements, without moving anything. When Traffic and the investigating teams are happy, then it will be moved.
poole_god wrote:This is true and it didn't help. However neither did the police who did their usual stand around and look at the accident rather than move the vehicles out of the way and get the traffic moving.
It appears a lot of the complaints yesterday are about 4 muppets who decided to crach into each other at Cooper Dean, nothing to do with the road works but does highlight the issues you cause when not driving with due care.
Hospital folk can balme them for much of their delay last night
.
I'm sure its very important.
Dibbles2, Bournemouth says...
12:06pm Thu 26 Nov 09
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poole_god, says...
8:07am Wed 25 Nov 09
Hospital folk can balme them for much of their delay last night