Nine-months of road closures as Seven Dials is revamped (From The Argus)
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Nine-months of road closures as Seven Dials is revamped
12:30pm Thursday 21st February 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
Signs go up to warn drivers of delys in the Seven Dials area until December
Work to revamp the area around a controversial roundabout will last nine months.
Brighton and Hove City Council believes its changes to Seven Dials in Brighton will improve safety and benefit all road users.
The local authority has confirmed the £625,000 project will start on March 4 and last until December with works phased to minimise disruption.
Transport bosses said various surrounding roads will need to be shut in rotation for three or four weeks at a time.
But locals in neighbouring streets have raised concerns this will lead to traffic being pushed into residential side streets.
Dave Evans, of Addison Road, Hove, said: “People up here want the Seven Dials renovated.
“But we are unhappy at how they have gone about it.
“I was surprised it’s going to take this long.
“I think they were keeping it a secret as they know it will be chaos. We get the feeling they are going to bushwhack us with traffic closures.
“They still have not given us any details of where the diversions will be and how that will affect all the side streets.
“It’s inconceivable that for a project this big they do not know where the traffic will go.”
Road closures
About 7,000 letters have gone out to residents explaining the details of the programme.
This includes a list of which roads will be shut and when.
The work will see the creation of a longer oval traffic island to replace the mini-roundabout.
Ian Davey, chairman of the council’s transport committee, said: “We apologise for any disruption caused but are confident that that once the works are complete people will appreciate the improvement.
“The schedule has been planned to keep nuisance and disruption to a minimum.
“We’re seriously committed to addressing any concerns people raise during construction.”
Street clutter
Traffic engineers say this will mean vehicles from various roads will merge gradually rather than converging on a single point.
Other measures include removing street clutter and changing pelican crossings to zebra crossings to make it quicker and easier to cross.
Guard railings and an elm tree near the junction will also be removed.
Consultation took place in October and the scheme was approved by the council’s transport committee in January.
Contractors Edburton will have a site office in front of Montpelier Crescent, Brighton, throughout the scheme.
For more information email sevendials@brighton-hove.gov.uk or call 01273 292929.
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Comments(13)
Atticus
says...
1:06pm Thu 21 Feb 13
However 9 months seems like a long duration of works. There must be a quicker way.
Ballroom Blitz
says...
1:11pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Atticus wrote:There is. Do the work at night, as they do with roadworks in major cities all over the developed world.
Speaking as someone who uses the roundabout frequently, I think it's probably worth it to spruce up the area, improve safety and future proof traffic flow.
However 9 months seems like a long duration of works. There must be a quicker way.
Hoarder12345444
says...
1:19pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Ballroom Blitz wrote:Er, I dont think the residents would like that very much, all that noise. All those people in their expensive houses up that way, they're going to be very annoyed, hahahahaha.
Atticus wrote:There is. Do the work at night, as they do with roadworks in major cities all over the developed world.
Speaking as someone who uses the roundabout frequently, I think it's probably worth it to spruce up the area, improve safety and future proof traffic flow.
However 9 months seems like a long duration of works. There must be a quicker way.
Joshiman
says...
1:41pm Thu 21 Feb 13
taman
says...
1:48pm Thu 21 Feb 13
W H O T H E HELL DO THEY THINK THEY ARE ????????????????????
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grev02
says...
2:11pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Get ready for loads of delays from now on as truckers will get repeatedly stuck on the new roundabout. Oh, the fun!
upsidedowntuctuc
says...
2:43pm Thu 21 Feb 13
This is not to do with 'Improvement' it is about causing chaos to traffic.
Lewes Road, Dials (The Lanes would be dug up but they are having to have a Public Inquiry)
They can then use the massive increase in pollution as another reason to impose a car ban (this will result in a large fine from the EU for us that pay council tax or business rates.)
Edburton have massively over ran their works every one they attempted.
What a complete and utter unfit for purpose shower this transport committee are I'll include the blues and reds in that as they do little to fight the greens when they cut corners.
There is no way this should take that long. I saw a massive busy junction in Spain with 8 roads changed from lights to a roundabout over a weekend including trees and plants put in and fountain with less hold ups than the dials cause now
Last out of City turn off light Oh hang on the bulb blew and the Greens are still trying to get numbers to change it
derekhunt
says...
3:12pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Joshiman wrote:.....and probably kill about 75 workers in the process - but yes, they would get it done quickly
breakfast/tea breaks/Lunch breaks/hanging around playing around with traffic cones and manning temporary lights and finishing early.Yep 9 months is about right.China would probably start and finish doing a good job in 2 weeks.
On_the_Level
says...
6:40pm Thu 21 Feb 13
rayellerton
says...
6:48pm Thu 21 Feb 13
nocando
says...
8:52pm Thu 21 Feb 13
Anyone care to speculate on the probability of that figure being anything like the eventual cost?
Or will the relevant public bodies' culture of flippancy with other peoples' money prevail once again?
The only thing wrong with 7 dials as it stands is the people who don't know how to use it. Even so its hardly a congestion point, quite the opposite in fact.
I think we're going to get screwed again.
Sean Jenkins
says...
2:25pm Fri 22 Feb 13
Indigatio says...
12:48pm Thu 21 Feb 13
In saying this though I would add that although I have used the 7 Dials for some 40 years I do not do so on a daily basis.