Unnecessary Traffic Queues in Hereford

[Colin James]

Last night we had a very brief reprieve from the weeks of road works and traffic queues on the Belmont Road in Hereford. The traffic lights were removed! Today I drove into the city with no traffic whatsoever, traffic lights and roadworks were completely gone however, on my return late this afternoon, I was surprised to be sat in traffic again.

 

Can someone please explain to me why oh why we have traffic lights for a few traffic cones that surround fresh air? If more roadworks are going to be started this week, why could they not just set up the lights and cones at the same time? Do we really need traffic lights on a Sunday? This also came as a surprise because there has been no work carried out on a Sunday since these roadworks began, yet some clown was working today in order to cause this chaos, this is totally unnecessary.

 

On another note, I see that the cyclist thinks that the traffic lights do not apply to him...

 

Just to be clear, these traffic lights are currently facing the Oval shops, there is a zoomed out photo below

 

[Colin James]

This photograph is taken from the bridge looking down the Belmont Road into the City as you can see there are cars turning around as you can see because of the delays.

 

[ragwert]

Iogically thinking its probably because a company puts these cones and lights up for utility companies like the gas board.
They can't be in 20 different places in one day so these were put up today ready for tomorrow.

[Colin James]

Iogically thinking its probably because a company puts these cones and lights up for utility companies like the gas board.

They can't be in 20 different places in one day so these were put up today ready for tomorrow.

 

Well all last week it was the same people, still does not make sense to me, traffic lights around a few cones, traffic lights are not really required here, people can drive around them quite easily.

[H.Wilson]

What a joke, this is the most stupid thing I have seen in ages, cones around nothing with traffic lights to control traffic. This could of been planner much better and with the least amount of upheaval possible.

[Glenda Powell]

There has been road cones and traffic lights at the top of Charlton Ave, going round the roundabout into Masefield Ave and Ethelstan Crescent, but no work being done or workman in sight, just the traffic lights causing chaos.

[ragwert]

There has been road cones and traffic lights at the top of Charlton Ave, going round the roundabout into Masefield Ave and Ethelstan Crescent, but no work being done or workman in sight, just the traffic lights causing chaos.

But they do change to green on approach.Well they do when I'm going up over roundabout to Ethelstan Cres.

[Steve Major]

Just take a good look at that photograph, it just goes to show how pathetic this really is, it is quite unbelievable. What happened to common sense, all they have done here is caused the motorist more frustrations and unnecessary delays, they should be fined for everyday the roadworks and lights are in place!

[Colin James]

Ok so all the traffic queues and traffic lights yesterday, that I said was totally unnecessary, was in fact totally unnecessary!

 

It appears that they had the cones and traffic lights in the wrong place because early this morning they are now on the opposite side of the road 1/4 of a mile down in the other direction. Does anyone here actually know what they are doing other than causing confusion and mayhem?

 

This is where the traffic lights are today, this photograph was taken from the iron bridge of the traffic, which is facing towards the city...

 

 

This is where the traffic lights were yesterday on the left side facing towards the Oval shops. 

[Edd]

I went past at 8.40 this morning, no one on site.

 

Came back at 9.45 and it looks like their reinstating the little island in the middle of the road as the power people were there connecting the bollards back up, had to go back down an hour later, one bollard done, came back at 1.15 and it looks like they've nearly completed the second bollard.

 

However a small hole has appeared in the footpath by the turning to the Oval.  That was there early this morning.

 

No Gas people around though.

 

 

It does seem to be a theme though.  I been out to Whitestone and back twice today (don't ask - knackered battery on car) and some lights have appeared just on the other side of the Lugg bridge and they're around 'nothing' as well, they weren't there early this morning.

[ragwert]

Just take a good look at that photograph, it just goes to show how pathetic this really is, it is quite unbelievable. What happened to common sense, all they have done here is caused the motorist more frustrations and unnecessary delays, they should be fined for everyday the roadworks and lights are in place!

They should have to pay to dig up the roads.If this was the case here they would of finished weeks ago

[Edd]

The lights at Lugg bridge are still there and have been around nothing all day.  Traffic queuing back to the roundabout at the bottom of Aylestone Hill.  Perhaps they're practicing and they'll put them in the right place tomorrow !!!  

[Mick]

No need for the traffic light and cones by the oval yesterday at all then! What a cockup 

[Maggie May]

I think you might remember that I said a while back that the Council would try and make the congestion worse rather than better so they can justify their big road building projects. I would rather the Council provide simple services we have all paid for such as opening up our public library in Broad Street.

[herefordman75]

It really does puzzle the mind as to why they even leave the lights there at all during the evening and the weekends when no work Is going on. Surely someone could be on site at 7, spread the cones out and turn the lights on, then when they pack up at 6 (or 4 whatever time they decide to go home) then move them back, there is plenty of room along that stretch for two lanes with one blocked off, would save all sorts of hassle. In fact, I am surprised no one actually thought to move the comes and stick a Tesco bag over the lights :D

[DILLIGAF]

Popped down to beefy boys for a take out this evening. The lights and subsequent cones are surrounding a hole that has been dug on the pavement!

I know I passed my test moons ago, but I'm sure that even with all this modern technology in cars nowadays you're still not allowed to drive on the pavement?

I feel like setting up a "cone amnesty" under the cover of darkness tonight........ No holes no harm

[Colin James]

Thank you goes to Jess Phillips for running this article in the Hereford Times after my phone call to her at the beginning of the week.

I just need to clarify one thing about the National Grid statement, they claim work had been going on until 7pm? Sorry but this is untrue, workforce are usually all gone by 4pm.

 

They have also stated that the cones were used to mark out the area of the island and the temporary traffic lights were moved so that the island could be reinstated. Clearly the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing! As the area where the island is being reinstated is more or less on the junction of Hunderton Avenue, which is where the lights were placed on Monday morning.

 

 

On Sunday the traffic lights and cones where placed in the road (photo) southbound just after the bridge and just before the turning for the Oval, which you can clearly see in the picture you have used above, there is no island there!